Allies of Ukraine will endeavour to “enhance” a US strategy to end the conflict with Russia during their meeting at the G20 in South Africa, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated.
The conference commences a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukraine is confronting “one of the most challenging moments in our history” due to pressure to acquiesce to the plan, the leaked details of which are perceived as advantageous to Moscow.
Zelensky engaged in telephone discussions with Sir Keir and the leaders of France and Germany on Friday. Subsequently, the Prime Minister stated that Ukraine’s “friends and partners” continued to be dedicated to achieving a “permanent peace definitively.”
Neither U.S. President Donald Trump nor Russian President Vladimir Putin will be attending the G20 summit.
The widely disseminated US peace plan includes recommendations that Kyiv has previously dismissed, including the relinquishment of the eastern territories it currently governs.
Washington has been urging Kyiv to acquiesce and has dispatched senior Pentagon officials to Ukraine earlier this week to discuss the recommendations.
However, there is apprehension in Europe regarding what is viewed as a set of words significantly biased towards Moscow. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, characterised the potential adoption as a “very dangerous moment.”
As reported by Reuters, she stated to reporters: “We all desire the conclusion of this war, but the manner of its conclusion is significant.” Russia possesses no legal entitlement to any concessions from the nation it invaded; ultimately, the parameters of any accord are determined by Ukraine.
Before the G20 discussions, Sir Keir stated that the assembled leaders would “examine the existing proposal and, in support of President Trump’s initiative for peace, consider ways to enhance this plan for the subsequent phase of negotiations.”
He stated: “Not a single day has elapsed in this conflict during which Ukraine has not urged Russia to terminate its unlawful invasion, withdraw its tanks, and disarm.”
Ukraine has been prepared to negotiate for months, whereas Russia has delayed and persisted in its violent aggression.
“Therefore, it is imperative that we collaborate with both the US and Ukraine to achieve a fair and enduring peace definitively.”
Under the White House’s proposal, Ukraine would be required to reduce its military forces and to refrain from joining NATO, a longstanding Kremlin goal.
On Friday, Trump cautioned that Ukraine would rapidly cede additional territory to Russia and asserted that Zelensky “must endorse” the plan.
The US president stated that he had set a deadline for Ukraine of Thursday, coinciding with Thanksgiving in the US, which he characterised as “appropriate.”
Russian forces have been progressing gradually along the extensive front line, notwithstanding reported significant casualties.
Ukraine depends on procuring advanced weaponry developed in the United States to equip its military, particularly air defence systems.
Since Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has relied on intelligence supplied by Washington.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated on Friday that it is a “fantasy to believe that merely providing additional funds, weapons, or sanctions will ensure victory.”
In a meeting with his security council on Friday, Putin acknowledged that the US had submitted its proposed peace plan, stating it may serve as the “basis” for a resolution; nevertheless, he noted that thorough discussions over its parameters had not yet occurred in the Kremlin.
He stated that Russia was prepared to demonstrate “flexibility” while also being ready to engage in combat.
During a 10-minute speech at the presidential office in Kyiv, Zelensky cautioned that Ukraine will encounter “significant pressure… to undermine us, to fracture us”.
“We are not issuing bold declarations,” he continued, “we will be methodically collaborating with America and all partners… presenting alternatives” to the suggested peace plan.
Zelensky has had to navigate a delicate equilibrium between Kyiv’s interests and preserving amicable relations with Trump, with whom he experienced a public conflict at the White House earlier this year, and who has occasionally expressed frustration with the stagnation in peace negotiations.
His response to the US plan has been articulated with restraint. Still, on Friday, he acknowledged that Ukraine “may confront a profoundly challenging decision: either sacrificing dignity or jeopardizing a crucial ally.”
The White House has refuted claims that Ukraine was excluded from the drafting of the proposal.
A nameless US official informed the media that the plan was formulated “immediately” after consultations with Ukraine’s chief security officer, Rustem Umerov, who consented to most of it.
The leaked plan suggests the departure of Ukrainian forces from the portion of the eastern Donetsk region under their control, so granting Russia de facto authority over Donetsk, the adjacent Luhansk region, and the southern Crimea peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
Russia presently occupies approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The plan states that Kyiv will have “reliable security guarantees,” although specifics have not been provided.
The memo states that it is anticipated that Russia will refrain from invading its neighbours and that NATO will not undergo further expansion.
The document proposes that Russia will be “reintegrated into the global economy” by easing sanctions and inviting it to rejoin the G7, so restoring it to the G8 status.
