Zelenskyy warns Ukraine could lose dignity under Trump’s peace plan; holds talks with European leaders

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What the European leaders said

The leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom spoke with Zelenskyy by phone. They told him they would continue their support as the war with Russia enters its third year.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said their support for “a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine remains unchanged.

A statement from Merz’s office said the leaders “welcomed the commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to grant Ukraine solid security guarantees”.

Starmer said Ukraine’s right to decide its own future “under its sovereignty is a fundamental principle”.

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What is in the US plan

The US proposal includes many of President Vladimir Putin’s long-standing demands. According to AP reporting, the plan:

• Asks Ukraine to hand over territory to Russia
• Reduces Ukraine’s armed forces
• Blocks Ukraine from joining NATO

The plan also offers only limited security guarantees for Ukraine, something Zelenskyy has previously said must be firm and clear.

Zelenskyy said his government is still reviewing the proposal. “We are closely coordinating to ensure that the principled positions are taken into account,” he wrote on Telegram.

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Why Europe is concerned

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the war is “an existential threat to Europe”.

“We all want this war to end. But how it ends matters,” she told reporters in Brussels. “Russia has no legal right to any concessions from the country it invaded.”

European officials said the US hadn’t formally briefed them. One European government official told AP that many elements of the plan are “quite concerning” and that a bad agreement for Ukraine would also endanger Europe. The official was not authorised to speak publicly.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would call Zelenskyy to discuss the proposals.
“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” she said at the G20 summit in Johannesburg.

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How Ukraine is responding

Zelenskyy said Ukraine will continue talks with Washington and expects to speak directly with Trump in the coming days. “We know America’s strength and America’s support can bring peace closer, and we do not want to lose that,” he said.

Rustem Umerov, one of Zelenskyy’s senior advisers, said reports that he approved most of the plan were inaccurate. Umerov said he only arranged meetings and prepared discussions. “We are thoughtfully processing the partners’ proposals within Ukraine’s principles sovereignty, people’s security and a just peace,” he said.

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What Russia said

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has not been given the plan officially.
“No, we have not received anything,” Peskov told reporters. He said US–Russian contacts continue but “nothing substantive” is being discussed.

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What is happening on the ground

A Russian glide bomb struck a residential part of the southern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, killing five people and injuring at least 10, including a teenage girl, local officials said.

In Odesa, a Russian drone hit another residential area, injuring five people, including a 16-year-old boy.

Two days earlier, drone and missile strikes hit the western city of Ternopil, killing 31 people, including six children and injuring 94. Emergency crews say 13 people are still missing after the upper floors of apartment blocks collapsed in that attack.

(With inputs from agencies)