By euronews
Published on
•Updated
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has publicly spoken about the US-Russian proposal to end the war in Ukraine for the first time on Friday, saying it “could form the basis of a final peace settlement.”
Putin called the plan “a new version” and “a modernised plan” and said Moscow has received it.
“I believe that it, too, could form the basis for a final peace settlement,” Putin said.
“But this text has not been discussed with us in any substantive way, and I can guess why,” Putin added.
“The US administration has so far been unable to secure the consent of the Ukrainian side. Ukraine is against it. Apparently, Ukraine and its European allies are still under illusions and the dream of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield.”
Putin’s claim that the text of the plan was not discussed with the Kremlin contradicts the contents of the plan, which show that it largely contains the same maximalist demands Moscow has made since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
According to the draft of the US-Russia plan leaked by US outlets, Russia has demanded Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk to be “as de facto Russian, including by the United States”.
Russia has been trying to occupy all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – known together as Donbas – since its first invasion of 2014. Until now, Moscow’s troops have not fully controlled these areas.
The Kremlin would in return agree to a ceasefire in the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia along the current contact line.
The Kremlin also wants Ukraine to scale down its military force to 600,000 personnel, with European fighter jets stationed in neighbouring Poland, as well as plans for Ukraine to forgo many of its weapons.
The leaked plan also includes vague indications that Moscow would not invade other countries apart from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his country in an address on Friday that it could face a pivotal choice between standing up for its sovereign rights and preserving the American support it needs, as leaders discuss the deal which is seen as favouring Russia.
The plan foresees Ukraine ceding territory to Russia, something Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out, while reducing the size of its army and blocking its coveted path to NATO membership.
Zelenskyy insisted on fair treatment while pledging to “work calmly” with Washington and other partners in what he called “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history.”
“Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest,” Zelenskyy said in the recorded speech. “Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”
Trump wants Ukraine to respond within a week
US President Donald Trump said in a radio interview on Friday said that he wants an answer from Zelenskyy on his 28-point plan by Thursday, but says an extension is possible to finalise terms.
“I’ve had a lot of deadlines, but if things are working well, you tend to extend the deadlines,” Trump said on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox News Radio. “But Thursday is it — we think an appropriate time.”
While Zelenskyy has offered to negotiate with the US and Russia, he signalled Ukraine may not get everything it wants and has to confront the possibility of losing American support if it makes a stand.
He urged Ukrainians to “stop fighting” each other, in a possible reference to a major corruption scandal that has brought fierce criticism of the government and said peace talks next week “will be very difficult.”
Europe says it will keep supporting Ukraine
Zelenskyy spoke earlier by phone with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, who assured him of their continued support, as European officials scrambled to respond to the US proposals that apparently caught them unawares.
Wary of antagonising Trump, the European and Ukrainian responses were cautiously worded and pointedly commended American peace efforts.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelenskyy of “their unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine, Merz’s office said.
The four leaders welcomed US efforts to end the war.
“In particular, they welcomed the commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to grant Ukraine solid security guarantees,” the statement added.
The line of contact must be the departure point for an agreement, they said, and “the Ukrainian armed forces must remain in a position to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine effectively.”
Starmer said the right of Ukraine to “determine its future under its sovereignty is a fundamental principle.”
