President Donald Trump said that he wants Ukraine to accept a new, U.S.-backed peace plan to end its war with Russia by Thanksgiving.
On Friday, Trump confirmed the deadline for Ukraine to sign off on the proposal or face losing U.S. support.
The president also noted that he has no plans to lift U.S. sanctions on Russia while his administration waits for a response to the peace plan.
“We’re in it for one thing,” the president said. “We want the killing to, you know, they lost 25,000 people last month between the two countries, 25,000 people. It’s out of control. It’s a bloodbath.”
“Now is one of the most difficult moments of our history. Now, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the heaviest. Now, Ukraine can face a very difficult choice — either losing dignity or risk losing a major partner,” he said on Friday. “I will fight 24/7 to ensure that at least two points in the plan are not overlooked – the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the framework can be used as the “basis for a final peaceful settlement,” but if Kyiv ultimately turned down the U.S.-backed proposal, then Russian forces would advance further.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the complexity of the situation but also said both sides must be willing to concede in order to achieve long-lasting peace.
Among the concessions is the requirement of Ukraine to cap the size of its armed forces to 600,000. Ukraine would also have to give up territory including Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk, to Russia. The plan also bars Ukraine from joining the NATO alliance, although it doesn’t prohibit Ukraine from joining the European Union.
The proposal states that Russia cannot invade neighboring countries and NATO will not expand any further. Russia must also give up “other agreed upon territories they control outside of the five regions” and expected to commit to a non-aggression policy against Europe and Ukraine.
It also states that a ceasefire would take effect immediately if both sides agree to the deal.
Reuters contributed to this report.
