US warns Ukraine of far worse terms if it rejects peace deal — The Guardian
Photo: US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll (Getty Images)
US officials have warned NATO allies that they will pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a peace agreement with Russia in the coming days. Otherwise, Ukraine will face significantly worse conditions, according to The Guardian.
On Friday evening, November 21, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll held a briefing for NATO ambassadors in Kyiv after talks with Zelenskyy and a call from the White House.
"No deal is perfect, but it must be done sooner rather than later," he says.
According to a source who was present at the meeting, the mood in the room was gloomy. Several European ambassadors questioned the content of the agreement and how the US had negotiated with Russia without informing its allies.
"It was a nightmare meeting. It was the 'you have no cards' argument again," the interlocutor says, referring to US President Donald Trump's statement that Zelenskyy had no cards during a controversial meeting at the White House back in February.
Driscoll, whom Trump recently appointed as special representative for Ukraine, declined to elaborate on whether the proposed 28-point peace plan published online was accurate.
"Some things matter, some are window dressing – and we most focused on the things that matter. President Trump wants peace now. The more cooks in the kitchen, the harder it is to handle," he says.
Julie Davis, the US Chargé d'Affaires in Ukraine, was also present at the meeting and told other diplomats that although the terms of the agreement are tough on Ukraine, it has no choice but to agree to them or face worse ones in the future.
"The deal does not get better from here, it gets worse," she says.
US peace plan
US and Russian officials have developed a peace plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine. It consists of 28 points.
The plan was immediately met with harsh criticism from Ukraine and Europe.
In particular, the plan provides for the transfer of part of the Donbas territory to Russia in exchange for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and the EU, a reduction in the Ukrainian army, the abandonment of long-range weapons, and more.
The US is pressuring Ukraine to agree to the peace plan by Thanksgiving, November 27.
Next week, Zelenskyy will discuss the peace plan with US President Donald Trump.
At the same time, Zelenskyy and European leaders are trying to revise the points of the US peace plan by November 27 so that they are fair to Kyiv.
