Zelensky to speak to Trump after US proposes Russia-Ukraine peace plan
Volodymyr Zelensky will speak to Donald Trump after the US presented Ukraine with a draft "peace plan" to end the war with Russia.
The plan was reportedly drafted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev, without Ukraine's involvement.
In a statement, Zelensky's office said the US believed the draft plan could "help reinvigorate diplomacy" and added that Ukraine had "agreed to work on the plan's provisions in a way that would bring about a just end to the war".
Kyiv supported "all substantive proposals capable of bringing genuine peace closer," the statement said.
The Ukrainians did not share any details of what the proposal entails, although according to sources quoted by Axios, the Financial Times and Reuters, it includes plans for Kyiv to give up areas of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine that it still controls, to cut significantly the size of its army, and to forego many of its weapons.
If confirmed, these demands would be heavily slanted towards Moscow's interest - explaining Kyiv's lukewarm reaction to the draft.
But in a press briefing for reporters at the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected suggestions the plan demands major concessions from Ukraine.
Neither Ukraine nor its European partners were involved in drafting the new plan, and on Thursday European foreign ministers warned against coming up with proposals without consulting Kyiv or Brussels.
"For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board," said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
While Ukraine has become adept at targeting Russian military infrastructure and energy facilities with long-range drones, Moscow's attacks on Ukrainian targets continue unabated.
Earlier this week, at least 26 people were in a Russian missile and drone attack on blocks of flats in Ukraine's western city of Ternopil. More than people were still missing at the site on Thursday.
