Trump discusses proposals with European leaders to end war

KYIV, Dec 11 (AP): U.S. President Donald Trump said he and European leaders discussed proposals to end the war in Ukraine in "pretty strong terms" Wednesday, adding that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "has to be realistic" about his country's position on a peace plan.
As tension builds around a U.S. push for a settlement, the leaders of Germany, Britain and France spoke to Trump by phone and requested a meeting this weekend with the U.S. and Ukraine, the U.S. president said.
"We'll make a determination depending on what they come back with," the president told reporters during a question-and-answer session at the White House.
Earlier, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was expected to give its latest peace proposals to U.S. negotiators Wednesday, ahead of his urgent talks Thursday with leaders and officials from about 30 countries supporting Kyiv's effort to end the war with Russia on acceptable terms. The White House did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday on whether that happened.
Negotiations are at "a critical moment," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement.
Washington's goal of a swift compromise to stop the fighting that followed Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 is reducing Kyiv's room for maneuvering. Zelenskyy is walking a tightrope between defending Ukrainian interests and showing Trump he is willing to compromise, even as Moscow shows no public sign of budging from its demands.
Ukraine's European allies are backing Zelenskyy's effort to ensure that any settlement is fair and deters future Russian attacks, as well as accommodating Europe's defense interests.
The French government said Ukraine's allies - dubbed the Coalition of the Willing - will discuss the negotiations Thursday by video. Zelenskyy said the meeting would include those countries' leaders.
"We need to bring together 30 colleagues very quickly. And it's not easy, but nevertheless we will do it," he said late Tuesday.
Zelenskyy said discussions with the U.S. were to focus on a document detailing plans for Ukraine's postwar reconstruction and economic development. Also, Ukraine is finalizing work on a separate, 20-point framework for ending the war that Zelenskyy said Kyiv expects to submit to Washington soon.
After Trump called for a presidential election in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said his country would be ready for such a vote within three months if partners can guarantee safe balloting during wartime and if its electoral law can be altered.
Zelenskyy's openness to an election was a response to comments by Trump in which he questioned Ukraine's democracy and suggested the Ukrainian leader was using the war as an excuse not to stand before voters. Those comments echo similar remarks often made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.