President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Friday that Ukraine is at risk of losing the United States as a key ally but emphasized that he will never betray his country, standing by his oath to defend its independence and sovereignty.
The warning comes as a draft 28-point peace plan from US President Donald Trump surfaced.
Trump’s plan requires Kyiv to cede additional territory in the east, limit the size of its military, and renounce any future North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership, according to Axios.
In a speech released by his office on Friday, Zelensky said Ukraine is facing “one of the hardest moments in our history,” with the country under intense pressure and confronted with difficult choices.
The Ukraine leader stressed that Kyiv would not compromise its dignity or freedom in negotiations with international partners.
“For me, this is not a protocol formality to check off – it is an oath. And every day, I remain true to every word of it. And I will never betray it,” Zelensky said.
Alternative peace plan for Kyiv
He promised that Ukraine would work constructively with the US and other allies to secure a peace plan that would not compromise the national interest of Kyiv.
“I will lay out the arguments. I will persuade. I will offer alternatives,” Zelensky added.
He also assured that he will not give the enemies grounds to claim that Ukraine is sabotaging the peace efforts.
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Putin says Kyiv opposes peace plan
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that although the American peace plan could be the basis for the “peaceful” settlement of the conflict, it has yet to be discussed in detail with Moscow.
“I can guess why. I believe the reason is the same: the US administration has not yet secured the Ukrainian side’s agreement. Ukraine is against it,” Putin said.
A Russian envoy also claimed that the proposal is not designed to favor Russia but to prevent further losses for Ukraine.
“Because of warmongers’ propaganda, many people miss that Trump’s peace plan is designed to save Ukraine from losing even more land and lives,” Kirill Dmitriev, a presidential envoy and chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said.
Both Kyiv and Moscow said they are awaiting a detailed discussion with US officials on the reported 28-point plan, though no timeline has been confirmed yet.
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