Zelenskyy might say yes to US peace plan, White House suggests - Politico
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official)
The Trump administration believes that the moment to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine has arrived. In particular, the US is reportedly aiming to pressure Kyiv amid a corruption scandal in the country, according to Politico.
“The Ukrainians will have to accept [the deal] given the weakness of Zelenskyy’s current position,” said a senior White House official.
Politico writes that US President Donald Trump gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline until November 24 to sign the agreement. Otherwise, Politico claims, Ukraine risks losing support from US intelligence and military forces.
At the same time, Politico notes that Trump did not hide his desire to end the hostilities and wavered between options favorable to each side, depending on where he believed he had the most leverage.
“It was strongly implied to the Ukrainians that the United States expects them to agree to a peace deal. Any changes will be decided upon by the president himself,” said a US official.
US peace plan
Recently, Axios was the first to report that the US developed a new peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. It was drafted by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff with the support of Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
The document consists of 28 points, and under its terms, Ukraine would need to withdraw from the Donbas, reduce its army, give up long-range weapons, and more. In return, the country would receive security guarantees similar to NATO.
According to Sky News, Zelenskyy and Trump are expected to have a phone call next week to discuss the plan. The exact deadline is somewhat unclear. Politico reports that the timeframe is until November 24, although other media and Trump himself have publicly stated that the deadline to sign the agreement is Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 27.
On the evening of November 21, Trump once again spoke with journalists at the White House. During a Q&A session, he said that Zelenskyy would have to either accept the proposal or continue fighting. Notably, Trump said nothing about cutting support if Ukraine does not sign the agreement; he ignored that question.
On the same day, November 21, Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the nation, saying that Ukraine may now face a difficult choice and that this is one of the most challenging moments in the country’s history.
For a detailed look at what the US peace plan entails, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
Corruption scandal
Information about the peace plan emerged shortly after a corruption scandal broke out in the country.
Specifically, on November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reported the uncovering of a large-scale corruption scheme at Energoatom. Those involved included Zelenskyy’s former business partner Timur Mindich, two ministers, and several other officials.
Additionally, on November 19, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Herman Halushchenko, who had previously been suspended from his duties as Minister of Justice due to the corruption scandal. On the same day, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk was also dismissed.
