FT: US envoys set deadline for Zelenskyy on peace plan

US envoys for Donald Trump have given Volodymyr Zelenskyy only a few days to respond to a proposed peace agreement that would require Ukraine to concede territory in return for unspecified American security guarantees, officials familiar with the talks said.

According to European officials, Ukraine’s president told them that he had been urged during a two-hour call on December 6 to make a rapid decision by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the US president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Financial Times (FT) reports.

A person aware of the proposed timeline said Trump hoped to see an agreement “by Christmas.”

Zelenskyy, the officials noted, replied that he needed time to consult European partners before issuing a response, warning that the US moving ahead without Europe’s support could risk splitting the Western coalition.

One Western official described Kyiv as caught between territorial demands it cannot accept and pressure from Washington it cannot ignore.

In a separate set of comments made during his trip from Rome to Poland on December 9, Zelenskyy said Washington wants Ukraine to receive clear security commitments—ranging from weapons and air-defence systems to sanctions triggers—but noted that the details are still being negotiated. 

At the same time, he acknowledged that several NATO members remain hesitant about Ukraine’s membership. “We are realists. We truly want to join NATO—that’s fair. But we know for sure that neither the US nor several other countries see Ukraine in the alliance yet,” he said, adding that Russia would never accept such a step.

Addressing broader security issues, Zelenskyy said Kyiv would hand its finalised peace plan to Washington on December 10 and confirmed that Ukraine is already deploying new long-range systems, including Neptune, Palyanytsia, Flamingo and Sapsan missiles.

On Crimea, he reiterated that Ukraine currently lacks the military capability to retake the peninsula, conceding that Kyiv does not yet have “sufficient support for all of this.”

He further noted that if Russia were ready for an “energy truce,” Ukraine would be prepared to consider it, stressing that energy stability is crucial for civilians.

Additionally, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be “ready” to hold presidential elections within 60–90 days if security and legal conditions were ensured.

He urged the United States and European partners to help create the environment required for a wartime vote, stressing that any nationwide election would need protected polling stations, legal adjustments to guarantee legitimacy, and mechanisms enabling front-line troops to participate. 

Ukrainian leader added that he had already asked lawmakers to prepare the necessary legislative changes and confirmed he was personally prepared to run.

By Jeyhun Aghazada