US President Donald Trump's administration is exerting heavy pressure on Ukraine, demanding that it agree to the American-Russian peace plan by Thanksgiving.
According to the FT's sources, the White House has set strict deadlines for the negotiation process, insisting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agree to the terms of the deal by Thanksgiving, which is celebrated in the United States on 27 November.
Earlier, the FT reported that the US is demanding that Kyiv agree to a peace plan developed by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in cooperation with Russian negotiators. The 28-point document, already approved by Trump, envisages significant concessions from Ukraine.
"According to people with knowledge of the proposal, it would require Ukraine to cede land under its control in the eastern Donbas region, cut the size of its armed forces by half and abandon vital categories of weaponry."
Ukrainian officials told the FT that Trump's administration had set "aggressive" deadlines aimed at presenting the agreement to Moscow by the end of November and finalising the process in early December. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials stress that several provisions in the document are unacceptable and counterproposals are currently being prepared.
One senior Ukrainian official compared the current pressure to the previous American push regarding the controversial mineral deal concluded earlier this year, under which the US obtained rights to extract minerals critically important to Ukraine. Kyiv agreed to those terms in the hope of securing Washington's support in its war with Russia.
The EU reacted with scepticism. Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that Brussels had "not heard of any concessions on the Russian side", casting doubt on the balance of the initiative.
"The president [Trump] supports this plan. It's a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Prior to that, Zelenskyy had a meeting with a US military delegation led by US Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, during which they agreed to swiftly discuss and conclude a peace agreement.
