Russia Threatens More Ukrainian Territory Seizure if Kyiv Rejects US Peace Plan as Europe Backs Ukraine’s Sovereignty – Firstpost

Russia has warned it is prepared to seize additional Ukrainian territory if Kiev rejects a new US-backed peace proposal, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. Washington is pressuring both sides to consider a negotiated end to the war.

The statement came hours after the United States unveiled a 28-point plan that has upset Ukraine and its European partners.

A White House official said President Donald Trump is negotiating directly with both Moscow and Kiev to end the conflict “as quickly as possible,” stressing that the war has dragged on for too long with “too many senseless deaths.”

Trump told Fox News Radio that next Thursday was a “reasonable” deadline for Ukraine to respond to the plan, though he suggested the deadline could be extended if negotiations progress, stressing that the main purpose of the resolution is to stop the killing.

While Zelensky has offered to negotiate with the US and Russia, he indicated that Ukraine may not get everything it wants and faces the possibility of losing US support if it takes that stance.

“At present, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the toughest pressures,” Zelensky said in a recorded speech. “Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either lose its dignity or risk losing a key partner.”

“We will work peacefully with the United States and all partners,” he said, but stressed fair play.

He urged Ukrainians to “stop fighting” with each other, in a possible reference to a major corruption scandal that has drawn sharp criticism of the government, and said peace talks next week would be “very difficult.”

Europe says it will continue to support Ukraine

Zelensky earlier spoke by phone with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, who assured him of their continued support, as European officials scrambled to respond to the US proposals, which apparently did not catch them off guard.

Wary of Trump’s opposition, European and Ukrainian responses were carefully worded and clearly lauded US peacekeeping efforts.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelensky of “their unchanged and full support on the path to a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine, Merz’s office said.

All four leaders welcomed American efforts to end the war. “In particular, they welcomed Ukraine’s commitment to sovereignty and its readiness to provide concrete security guarantees to Ukraine,” the statement said.

The line of contact should be the point of departure for any agreement, he said, and “the Ukrainian armed forces must remain in a position to effectively defend Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

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

Threat to Europe’s existence

European countries see their future at stake in Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression and insist on consultation in peace efforts.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine is an existential threat to Europe. We all want this war to end. But how it ends matters,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in Brussels. “Russia has no legal right to any concessions from a country it has invaded. Ultimately, the terms of any agreement are up to Ukraine to decide.”

Trump in his radio interview rejected the notion that the agreement, which offers Russia plenty of concessions, would encourage Putin to take more lethal action against his European neighbors.

“He’s not thinking about more war,” Trump said of Putin. “He’s thinking about punishment. Say what you want. I mean, this was supposed to be a one-day war that’s now been four years.”

A European government official said the US plans were not officially presented to Ukraine’s European backers.

Many of the proposals are “deeply worrying,” the official said, adding that a bad deal for Ukraine would also threaten broader European security.

Antonio Costa, president of the European Council in Johannesburg, said of the US proposals: “The EU has not been informed about any plans in an official way.”

with inputs from agencies