US Warns Ukraine of Aid Cutoff if It Rejects Peace Deal
The United States has informed Ukraine that Washington will reduce intelligence sharing and weapons assistance if Kyiv does not agree to the framework of a peace deal proposed under U.S. mediation. Two individuals involved in the matter told the British news agency Reuters.
Washington has given Ukraine a 28-point plan. It includes several major Russian demands, such as ceding additional territory, reducing the size of the military, and permanently abandoning NATO membership. The sources say the United States has never placed this much pressure on Ukraine in any negotiation before. The U.S. wants the agreement framework signed by next Thursday.
A delegation of senior U.S. military officials met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Thursday. The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and the head of Army public affairs described the meeting as successful, saying Washington wants a document signed between the United States and Ukraine as quickly as possible.
European Union (EU) leaders said they were not consulted about the 28-point U.S. plan. Britain’s Keir Starmer, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and France’s Emmanuel Macron jointly spoke with Zelensky by phone. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that Europe’s own plan is limited to only two points—weakening Russia and supporting Ukraine.
U.S. officials say the plan was drafted through discussions with Zelensky’s close ally and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov. They claim that after several revisions, Umerov agreed to most parts of the plan and presented it to Zelensky.
However, Umerov wrote on Telegram on Friday that he did not participate in or approve any such discussion. He said that during his U.S. trip, his role was limited to arranging meetings and preparing for dialogue, and that he had no authority to evaluate or approve. After Friday’s meeting with the U.S. delegation, Umerov said Kyiv would not accept any plan that undermines its sovereignty.
