Ukraine allies to hold talks on White House peace plan at G20

Trump's procedure to end war pushed back by Zelensky, welcomed by Putin

FE Team | Published: November 22, 2025 21:37:40

LONDON, Nov 22 (BBC/AFP): Ukraine's allies will seek to "strengthen" a US plan to end the war with Russia when they meet at the G20 summit in South Africa, UK PM Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The summit begins a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukraine faced "one of the most difficult moments in our history" over pressure to accept the plan - leaked details of which have been seen as favourable to Moscow.
Zelensky held phone talks with Sir Keir and the leaders of France and Germany on Friday. Afterwards, the PM said Ukraine's "friends and partners" remained committed to securing a "lasting peace once and for all".
Neither US President Donald Trump nor Russian President Vladimir Putin are attending the G20. The widely leaked US peace plan includes proposals that Kyiv had previously ruled out, including ceding eastern areas it currently controls.
Washington has been pressing Kyiv to accept and sent senior Pentagon officials to Ukraine earlier this week to discuss the proposals.
But there is nervousness in Europe over what has been perceived as a set of terms heavily slanted in Moscow's favour. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the prospect of it being adopted a "very dangerous moment".
According to news agency Reuters, she told reporters: "We all want this war to end, but how it ends matters. Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded, ultimately the terms of any agreement are for Ukraine to decide."
Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday pushed back against a US plan to end Russia's invasion, while Russian leader Vladimir Putin welcomed the proposal that includes many of his hardline demands that President Donald Trump gave Ukraine less than a week to sign.
Zelensky pledged to work round the clock to make sure the final agreement would not "betray" Ukraine's interests, acknowledging he risked losing Washington as an ally.
Putin said the blueprint could "lay the foundation" for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.
Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, Zelensky said in an address to the nation, adding that he would propose "alternatives" to Trump's 28-point plan. Kyiv and its European allies were startled by the proposal-which would effectively force Ukraine to capitulate by giving up land, cutting its army, pledge never to join NATO and hold snap elections.
Russia, meanwhile, would gain territory, be reintegrated into the global economy and rejoin the G8, under a draft of the plan, seen by AFP.
"Ukraine and its European allies are still living under illusions and dreaming of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield," the Russian president said in a televised meeting with his security council.