European leaders reject US-backed Ukraine peace plan amid rising Russian assaults

European countries pushed back against a US-backed peace plan for Ukraine, which sources said would require Kyiv to cede territory and partially disarm—conditions long seen by Ukraine’s allies as tantamount to capitulation.

Two sources told Reuters that Washington had signaled to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Kyiv must accept a US-drafted framework to end the war, which includes territorial concessions and reductions in Ukraine’s armed forces. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The accelerated US diplomatic effort comes at a challenging time for Kyiv, with its forces on the defensive and Zelenskyy’s government shaken by a corruption scandal. On November 19, Parliament dismissed two cabinet ministers.

“Consultations are not currently underway. There are contacts, of course, but there is no process that could be called consultations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Russia had nothing new to contribute beyond the position outlined by President Vladimir Putin during his August summit with US President Donald Trump, emphasizing that any peace agreement must address the “root causes of the conflict,” a phrase Moscow has long used to justify its demands.

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels declined to comment in detail on the reportedly US-crafted plan, which has not been made public, but stressed that Kyiv should not be forced into punitive concessions.

“Ukrainians want peace—a just peace that respects everyone’s sovereignty, a durable peace that can’t be called into question by future aggression,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. “But peace cannot be a capitulation.”

The White House has not commented on the proposed plan. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on X that Washington would “continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict.”

“…Achieving a durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions,” Rubio added.

A US Army delegation, led by Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll and Chief of Staff Randy George, was in Kyiv and expected to meet with Zelenskyy on November 20. The delegation met Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on November 19. Syrskyi emphasized that the best way to secure a just peace is to defend Ukraine’s airspace, extend its capacity to strike deep into Russia, and stabilize the front line.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to pound Ukrainian cities and infrastructure with nightly bombardments, causing civilian casualties and widespread power outages as winter approaches. Authorities reported 26 dead and 22 missing after airstrikes destroyed an apartment block on November 19—one of the deadliest attacks in months.

In Ternopil, in western Ukraine, smoke still rose from smoldering ruins as crews cleared debris and searched for bodies. Ihor Cherepanskyi recounted how he had attempted to rescue his great-grandmother from the building, only to be stopped when the ceiling collapsed.

“What kind of ‘strategic target’ is this?” he asked.

Another Russian strike knocked out power for 400,000 people. Ukraine reported striking two Russian oil refineries in response.

Russian forces are poised to capture their first significant city in nearly two years, the eastern railway hub of Pokrovsk. Ukraine also reported receiving 1,000 bodies from Russia, while Russia said it received 30 from Ukraine, in the latest exchange of remains.

Since launching a full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia occupies nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory and has insisted it will continue unless Ukraine cedes more land, accepts permanent neutrality, and reduces its armed forces. Ukraine maintains that such conditions would amount to surrender, leaving the country vulnerable to future aggression.

After Ukraine’s early successes in repelling the assault on Kyiv and regaining territory, the past three years have devolved into a grinding conflict along a 600-mile front line, with heavy casualties on both sides. A Ukrainian counteroffensive stalled in 2023, leaving both sides entrenched across a scorched no-man’s land, frequently targeted by drones.

US President Donald Trump, returning to office this year with a promise to end the war quickly, has shifted policy away from unwavering support for Ukraine toward partial recognition of Moscow’s justifications for the invasion. At the same time, he has demonstrated impatience with Russia, canceling a summit with Putin last month and imposing sanctions on Russia’s two main oil companies. Foreign buyers face a deadline to wind down Russian oil purchases.

By Vafa Guliyeva