FT: US expects Ukrainian president to sign peace deal before Thanksgiving

Washington anticipates that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will endorse a peace agreement by next Thursday, November 27.

Ukrainian officials say the country faces mounting pressure to quickly agree to a comprehensive peace plan crafted by the Trump administration alongside Moscow, and that the White House has informed Zelenskyy and his team it is pursuing an “aggressive” timeline to finalise the plan, aiming to end the war before year’s end, The Financial Times (FT) reports.

The US approach has been likened to its earlier forceful push for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a burdensome mineral rights deal earlier this year, according to Ukrainian officials and a source familiar with the situation.

However, Zelenskyy’s office has indicated that several provisions in the plan remain clear red lines, making the proposed timeline appear highly unrealistic.

Kyiv viewed the minerals deal as necessary to secure US support in its fight against Russia.

Zelenskyy’s office confirmed on November 20 that the US had formally handed Ukraine the peace plan.

According to people familiar with the proposal, it would require Ukraine to cede territory in the eastern Donbas region, halve the size of its armed forces, and abandon key categories of weaponry.

The EU responded to the plan by urging Europe and Ukraine to be “on board” in the negotiations. “We haven’t heard of any concessions on the Russian side,” Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s high representative for foreign policy, said.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was focused on a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine, adding: “That’s premised on the principle . . . that the future of Ukraine must be determined by Ukraine and we must never lose sight of that principle.”

The 28-point peace plan, approved by President Donald Trump on November 20 and drafted by US and Russian negotiators, would require Kyiv to make significant concessions that cross long-standing red lines.

It also proposes that Ukraine formally enshrine its non‑NATO status, recognises Russian as an official language, and gives the Russian Orthodox Church a special role.

By Jeyhun Aghazada