Trump calls Nov 27 ‘appropriate’ deadline for Ukraine to accept US peace plan

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday signalled that November 27 would be an “appropriate” deadline for Ukraine to accept his administration’s proposed plan aimed at ending the ongoing war with Russia.

Speaking to Fox Radio, Trump said that while deadlines can shift if talks progress, “Thursday is, we think, an appropriate time.” He was responding to questions about whether Kyiv had been given until next week to agree to a 28-point framework drafted by Washington.

According to a draft obtained by AFP, the proposed plan would require Ukraine to cede parts of its eastern territory to Russia, sharply reduce the size of its military, and abandon its bid to join NATO. The proposal also rules out Western peacekeepers in Ukraine, though European fighter jets would be stationed in Poland to bolster Ukraine’s security.

Trump argued that Ukraine risked losing those territories regardless if the conflict continued. Praising Ukrainian troops, he said, “Say what you want, they were very brave.”

Asked whether Russia could move to attack other European nations after invading Ukraine in 2022, Trump said President Vladimir Putin was “not looking for more war.” He added that Putin was “taking punishment” as the conflict nears its fourth year, despite what he described as a war that was expected to last only a day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday rejected the American plan, stressing he would not “betray” the country by accepting terms widely viewed in Kyiv as favourable to Moscow.

The White House, however, maintained that the proposal has been discussed equally with both Kyiv and Moscow as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to find a path to peace.