US President Donald Trump has named the current US Secretary of the Army, Dan Driscoll - a friend and former classmate of Vice President JD Vance - as his new Special Representative for Ukraine peace talks. The role was previously held by Keith Kellogg.
According to Hvylya, which cites American sources, The Guardian reports that a group of US generals is expected to fly to Moscow late next week to discuss a “peace plan” with the Kremlin.
The publication notes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history. This statement followed a demand from Donald Trump that Kyiv accept a US-backed “peace plan” within days, a plan that would force Ukraine to cede territories to Russia and agree to other painful concessions.
Trump confirmed on Friday morning that next Thursday - Thanksgiving Day in the US - would be an “acceptable” deadline for Zelensky to sign the agreement. European and Ukrainian officials have referred to the plan as a “capitulation”.
In a somber 10-minute speech delivered outside his presidential palace, Zelensky stated that his country faces an impossible choice. It can either preserve national dignity or risk losing an essential partner in the US administration, which appears determined to conclude the conflict on Moscow’s harsh terms.
“The pressure on Ukraine right now is among the heaviest,” he declared. The options include accepting Trump’s 28-point proposal or enduring an “extremely difficult winter,” which has already seen Russia destroy a significant portion of the country's energy infrastructure, leaving millions without heat and in the dark.
Agreeing to the US-Russian plan could leave Ukraine “without freedom, dignity, or justice,” he said. It would also mean trusting “someone who has already attacked us twice,” he added, stressing that he would never sacrifice Ukraine’s interests or go against its constitution.
“We did not betray Ukraine then (in 2022 - Ed.), and we will not do it now,” he stated.
Speaking on Fox radio, Trump said he considered Thursday “an appropriate time” for Zelensky to sign the agreement and claimed he believed Ukraine could not prevent the Russian army from seizing the Donbas territories by force.
US officials indicated that the President is adhering to an “aggressive timetable” for ending the conflict and intends to place unprecedented pressure on Kyiv.
Trump is also reportedly threatening to cut off vital intelligence sharing and weapon supplies to Ukraine if it does not comply.
When asked if the US might halt intelligence sharing or logistical support if Kyiv did not sign the agreement, an American official said: “The Ukrainians have been made clearly aware that the United States expects them to agree to the peace deal. Any changes will be decided by the President himself.”
On Friday, European leaders spoke out against the proposal, which Ukrainian politicians are calling “absurd”.
Speaking later at the White House on Friday, Trump reiterated that he expected to resolve the war much faster given his good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding, “It takes two to tango".
Referring to Zelensky, Trump said: “He has to like it, and if he doesn’t like it, you know, let them just keep fighting... At some point, he’s going to have to accept something.”
