Ukraine is at “one of the most difficult moments” of its history, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday, warning that a US plan for ending the war widely seen as favoring Russia would mean his country losing its dignity or a key ally,
CNN reports.
The 28-point plan put forward by US President Donald Trump puts pressure on Kyiv to cede territory, limit the size of its military and promise not to join NATO in exchange for an end to the war, all long-standing Kremlin demands.
“The pressure on Ukraine is now at its most intense. Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner, or 28 difficult points, or an extremely harsh winter,” Zelensky said in his daily video address.
Ukraine will “work calmly” and quickly with the US and its partners towards an end to the war, Zelensky said.
A number of European leaders have spoken out in support of Ukraine since the details of Trump’s proposal were released, vowing to stand by Kyiv and insisting that no decisions should be made about the fate of the country without its input.
In a joint call with Zelensky earlier on Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “agreed to continue to pursue the goal of safeguarding vital European and Ukrainian interests in the long term.”
This includes “ensuring that the line of contact is the starting point for an understanding and that the Ukrainian armed forces remain capable of effectively defending Ukraine’s sovereignty,” a German government press office statement.
Zelensky said he was relying on his “European friends,” for their support.
