KYIV: Ukraine and its European allies scrambled Saturday to come up with counter-proposals after US President Donald Trump gave Kyiv a tight deadline to approve a deal to end the war that accepts some of Russia's hardline demands.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed back against the 28-point US plan. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has welcomed the proposal, which would force Ukraine to give up land, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Saturday on the the sidelines of a G20 summit in South Africa, the French presidency said.
The huddle was held ahead of a wider meeting on the same topic that would include other European leaders, the presidency said.
Starmer had earlier said the aim was to "look at how we can strengthen this plan for the next phase of negotiations".
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the allies should make it clear "that there should be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine."
US Vice President JD Vance reacted to the criticism of the plan, saying it "either misunderstands the framework or misstates some critical reality on the ground."
"There is a fantasy that if we just give more money, more weapons, or more sanctions, victory is at hand," he added.
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 proposal.
A top Ukrainian official on Saturday said Kyiv would launch talks with the US in Switzerland to discuss ways to end the war. The delegation will be led by Zelensky's top aide Andriy Yermak.
Better equipped and larger in numbers, the Russian army is slowly but steadily gaining ground across the lengthy front line.
Ukrainians were meanwhile facing one of the toughest winters since the war began, as Moscow carried out a brutal bombing campaign against energy infrastructure.
This comes as a sweeping corruption probe that unveiled graft in the energy sector was unravelling in Kyiv, sparking public outcry.
US President Donald Trump has given Ukraine less than a week to sign. Zelensky pledged to work to ensure any deal would not "betray" Ukraine's interests, acknowledging he risked losing Washington as an ally.
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