Khaberni - The British newspaper "The Guardian" reported that American officials informed their allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that Washington is moving to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a peace deal within days, under the threat that if Kyiv does not sign the deal, it will face a worse one in the future.
This came during a closed meeting in Kyiv on Friday night, where the American Army Secretary Dan Driscoll briefed the ambassadors, following discussions with Zelensky and a direct call with the White House.
Driscoll said: "There is no perfect deal, but it must be done sooner rather than later," according to a source who attended the meeting.
The meeting was marked by an atmosphere of concern and discontent, as a number of European ambassadors expressed their dismay at the way the United States was handling negotiations with Russia without full consultation with the allies.
A source described the meeting as "disastrous," adding: "The argument (you have no negotiating papers) was repeated again," in reference to previous statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about Zelensky's position in the negotiation.
Worse Alternatives
The announcement by Washington of the plan surprised the European capitals, which were not briefed on its details, and Europeans fear that Moscow may have had a significant influence on drafting the draft presented to Kyiv as a ready agreement.
But Driscoll defended the American approach, saying: "Trump wants peace now. The more participants involved, the more complicated the path becomes."
The acting U.S. charge d'affaires in Kyiv, Julie Davis, who attended the meeting, confirmed that "the terms of the deal are already tough," but stressed that the alternatives available to Ukraine are worse.
She said: "From this point, the deal will not improve, but will get worse."
In response to a question about why Kyiv is being asked to give up territories that Moscow has failed to control for 11 years, a U.S. official said the deal is "beneficial for Ukraine," noting that Trump and Zelensky might sign a joint document "for peace."
Joint Plan
The proposed agreement includes controversial clauses, notably Ukraine's cession of territories occupied by Russia and others still under its control, in addition to a proposal for amnesty covering all war crimes committed during the conflict.
Reports indicate that the plan was drafted by Trump's aide Steve Whitcov along with Kremlin advisor Kirill Dmitriev, as part of a backchannel communication between the two sides, and Driscoll is expected to head to Moscow soon to discuss the plan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country received a copy of the agreement, adding: "I believe the plan can form a basis for a final peaceful settlement."
On Saturday, the Chairman of the National Security Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, announced that Kyiv would soon hold talks in Switzerland with the United States to discuss Trump's plan to end the war with Russia.
Umerov said in a post on "Facebook": "In the coming days, we will launch consultations in Switzerland between senior Ukrainian and American officials regarding the potential criteria for a future peace agreement."
Concurrently, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Saturday forming the Ukrainian delegation tasked with negotiations with Washington and Moscow.
