US framework to end war in Ukraine sparks unease among European allies

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, delivered one of his harshest public messages yet, warning that kyiv is entering “one of the most difficult moments in our history.”

In comments published by Reuters on Friday, Zelensky said Ukraine was under intense pressure and could soon face what he called “a very difficult choice: either lose its dignity or risk the loss of a key partner. Either 28 difficult points or an extremely difficult winter – the most difficult yet – and other risks. A life without freedom, without dignity, without justice. And we are supposed to trust someone who has already attacked us twice.”

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 urged Ukrainians to remain disciplined as negotiations continue with Washington. “We will not make any loud declarations; we will work calmly with America and all our partners,” he said. “I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will offer alternatives, but we will certainly not give any reason to the enemy to say that Ukraine does not want peace, that it is disrupting the process and that Ukraine is not ready for diplomacy. This will not happen.”

Warning against intensifying attempts to divide the country, he said Ukrainians should expect “a lot of pressure – political, informational and otherwise – to weaken us”, but vowed that “we have no right to allow this”, and insisted that “we will succeed”.

A U.S. official, speaking on background, told Fox News Digital: “It was strongly implied to the Ukrainians that the United States expects them to accept a peace deal. Any changes will be decided by the president himself.”

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.

Zelensky is preparing for a call with Trump, having already spoken on Friday with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Vice President JD Vance.

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.

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)

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.

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.”

On Friday, Fox News Channel’s Gillian Turner reported that a Trump administration official said the United States had offered Ukraine a security guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5 — a commitment that would treat any attack on Ukraine as an attack against all and require military defense.

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Firefighters work at the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, August 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatski)

THE Associated Press reported that 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. German newspaper Bild said Merz canceled a national appearance to hold crisis calls with Zelensky and Trump.