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White House Presses Ukraine to Accept Contested 28‑Point Peace Plan by Thanksgiving

02:13 AM, 11/22/2025
White House Presses Ukraine to Accept Contested 28‑Point Peace Plan by Thanksgiving

The White House is urging President Zelensky to sign a disputed 28‑point peace plan by Thanksgiving, warning U.S. support could be jeopardized if Kyiv refuses. The plan, presented by U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and drafted by envoy Steve Witkoff with input from Russia's Dmitriev, would shrink Ukraine's military and cede territory including parts of Donetsk. Ukrainian officials call many provisions 'nonstarters' and say negotiating a viable version would take months. European leaders plan a more Ukraine‑friendly counterproposal at the upcoming G20 meeting.

The White House has intensified pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a 28‑point peace proposal by Thanksgiving, warning that U.S. support in the war with Russia could be at risk if Kyiv does not agree.

According to five people familiar with the discussions, U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll presented the plan to President Zelensky. The package was drafted by special envoy Steve Witkoff with input from Russia's envoy, Dmitriev.

Sources say the proposal would require Ukraine to sharply reduce the size of its armed forces and to cede swaths of territory to Russia, including parts of the Donetsk region. One person familiar with the plan said converting it to a form acceptable to Kyiv would take months of painstaking negotiation and that many provisions are 'nonstarters' for Ukrainian leaders.

'Ukraine may face a very tough choice — either the loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner. Either a difficult 28‑point plan, or an extremely difficult winter, the most difficult one — and further risks ahead. A life without freedom, dignity, and justice, and being forced to trust someone who has already attacked us twice,' President Zelensky said in a national address.

Officials also report that the White House has signaled options could be removed from consideration if Kyiv does not agree quickly. In response, European leaders are preparing a counterproposal they hope will be more favorable to Ukraine; they plan to discuss it at an upcoming Group of 20 meeting in Johannesburg just days before Thanksgiving.

The proposal and the pressure surrounding it underscore the high stakes for Ukraine: choosing between accepting a contentious deal that critics call pro‑Russian or maintaining resistance and risking a pause or reduction in U.S. support. Ukrainian and European officials have emphasized that any acceptable agreement must protect Ukraine's sovereignty and involve European participation in its drafting.

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