US framework to end war in Ukraine sparks unease among European allies
Trump renews his efforts for peace between Ukraine and Russia
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott joins “America’s Newsroom” to discuss President Donald Trump’s intentions for peace between Ukraine and Russia, including a deal that would require Ukraine to cede more territory.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A U.S.-backed framework for ending the war in Ukraine – developed by special envoy Steve Witkoff, with input via channels from kyiv and Moscow – is sparking unease among European allies and putting new pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelensky, who has ruled out recognizing Russian sovereignty over Ukrainian territory, said he would work “calmly” with America. “This is one of the most difficult moments in our history,” Zelensky said in a video address to the nation. “Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the strongest. Ukraine could now face a very difficult choice, either lose its dignity or risk losing a key partner,” he said according to a newspaper report. Associated Press
According to several media outlets, a working draft would require kyiv to cede the eastern Donbass region to Russia, limit long-range Western strikes inside Russia and limit Ukraine’s armed forces to around 600,000 troops.
The White House says Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio “quietly worked” on the plan and engaged both sides. President Donald Trump has been briefed and supports efforts to finalize the framework by the holidays.
WITKOFF MEETS UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN NEW YORK AHEAD OF EMERGENCY UN SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING: “VERY PRODUCTIVE”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump (left) upon his arrival in the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, August 18, 2025. President Zelensky said today (Friday) that Ukraine and the United States will “work on the provisions of the plan” and are ready for “constructive, honest and rapid work.” (Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynold/AFP via Getty Images))
Zelensky is preparing for a call with Trump and spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as European leaders scramble to assess the implications of the proposal, after having a call with US Vice President Vance, according to a source.
Ukraine officially received the document. Zelensky said Ukraine and the United States will “work on the provisions of the plan” and kyiv is ready for “constructive, honest and rapid work.” He has repeatedly ruled out recognizing Russian sovereignty over any Ukrainian territory, saying earlier that there could be “no reward for waging war.”
“We are working to ensure that Ukraine’s national interests are taken into account at all levels of our relations with our partners,” Zelensky posted Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter.
A Ukrainian source told Fox News Digital that kyiv’s red lines include limits on NATO membership, territorial concessions and troop reductions. The former senior Ukrainian official called the terms of the plan “political suicide” that would leave Zelensky responsible “for the loss of about a fifth of Ukraine.”
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Washington and Moscow were not yet discussing the proposals in detail, but that contacts were ongoing. “There are some ideas on the American side, but nothing substantial is currently being discussed. We are completely open, we maintain our openness to peace negotiations,” Peskov told reporters.
ZELENSKYY LOOKING FOR “STRONG REACTION” FROM US IF PUTIN NOT READY FOR BILATERAL MEETING
President Donald Trump walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrive at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today (Friday) that Russia had “received nothing officially” from Washington on the 28-point plan. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stressed the urgency at a Security Council press briefing on Thursday, saying diplomacy is “the only path to a just and lasting peace.” Waltz said Washington had “offered generous terms to Russia, including sanctions relief,” and promised that “under the leadership of President Trump, the United States will continue to pursue the path to peace in Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s deputy representative to the United Nations, Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, responded strongly at Thursday’s Security Council meeting, saying kyiv would reject any settlement that compromised its sovereignty. “There will never be any recognition, formal or otherwise, of the Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation as Russian. Our lands are not for sale,” she said. Hayovyshyn stressed that “Ukraine will not accept any limits on its right to self-defense or on the size and capabilities of its armed forces, and we will not tolerate any encroachment on our sovereignty, including our sovereign right to choose which alliances we wish to join.”
European leaders would have been caught off guard by these proposals, the Associated Press reporting The leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom spoke with Zelensky on Friday to reaffirm their “unchanged and full support for the path to a lasting and just peace,” as diplomats raced to analyze a U.S. proposal that many first heard about through the media. Picture said Merz canceled a national appearance to hold crisis calls with Zelensky and Trump.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Firefighters work at the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, August 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatski)
Zelensky is expected to speak with Trump in the coming days to discuss key points of the plan and Ukraine’s red lines.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
