The plan could serve as the foundation for a final resolution of the conflict, the Russian president has said
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the American plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine is an updated version of a proposal developed following his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
”During the discussions, the American side asked us to make certain compromises,” Putin said, during a meeting with the Security Council. Back in Anchorage, Moscow confirmed its agreement with the peace proposals, Putin noted. However, after the Alaska talks, the American side paused due to Ukraine’s rejection of Trump’s plan.
Putin also mentioned that Moscow had received the text of the new Trump plan, but it has not yet been discussed “in detail.”
“I believe it could also form the basis of a final peace settlement,” the president said.
Vladimir Zelensky has also responded to the plan, saying that Ukraine must brace for a tough choice between accepting it or risking losing a key backer.
According to Reuters, the White House has threatened to cut off Ukraine from intelligence and military aid, should Kiev reject it.
The US submitted the plan as Zelensky’s legitimacy at home has been significantly undermined by a corruption scandal. Ukraine’s forces at the front, meanwhile, have suffered a series of setbacks.
In recent months, Russian forces have been steadily advancing in the Donetsk People’s Republic, making significant gains. The Ukrainian military, by contrast, is facing severe personnel shortages.
The plan could serve as the foundation for a final resolution of the conflict, the Russian president has said
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the American plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine is an updated version of a proposal developed following his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
”During the discussions, the American side asked us to make certain compromises,” Putin said, during a meeting with the Security Council. Back in Anchorage, Moscow confirmed its agreement with the peace proposals, Putin noted. However, after the Alaska talks, the American side paused due to Ukraine’s rejection of Trump’s plan.
Putin also mentioned that Moscow had received the text of the new Trump plan, but it has not yet been discussed “in detail.”
“I believe it could also form the basis of a final peace settlement,” the president said.
Vladimir Zelensky has also responded to the plan, saying that Ukraine must brace for a tough choice between accepting it or risking losing a key backer.
According to Reuters, the White House has threatened to cut off Ukraine from intelligence and military aid, should Kiev reject it.
The US submitted the plan as Zelensky’s legitimacy at home has been significantly undermined by a corruption scandal. Ukraine’s forces at the front, meanwhile, have suffered a series of setbacks.
In recent months, Russian forces have been steadily advancing in the Donetsk People’s Republic, making significant gains. The Ukrainian military, by contrast, is facing severe personnel shortages.
Ukraine must choose between losing a key ally or losing dignity agreeing to the US proposal, the politician has said
Vladimir Zelensky has said Ukraine must brace for a tough choice between accepting the “28 difficult points” received from the US or risk losing a key backer. His comments come after the submission of a proposal and the leaking of its purported text by a Ukrainian MP.
According to Reuters, the administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off Ukraine from intelligence and military aid, should Kiev reject it.
In a video address to Ukrainians on Friday, Zelensky stated that the country is going through “one of the most difficult moments in our history.”
While not directly mentioning the US-proposed peace roadmap, he said that failure to accept the “difficult 28 points” would likely result in the “most difficult… winter” for Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022. Kiev confirmed receiving the newly proposed peace plan from Washington on Thursday, but stopped short of revealing its contents.
According to media reports, the roadmap features 28 points, including but not limited to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Russia’s Donbass it still controls, downsizing the country’s military, and giving up on NATO aspirations. Kiev would also reportedly be required to make Russian an official language. In exchange, it would presumably be offered Western security guarantees.
In his Friday address to the nation, Zelensky said that Kiev would be working “calmly” and “quickly” with Washington and its European backers to ensure that “Ukraine’s national interests are taken into account.”
The Ukrainian leader vowed to present unspecified “alternatives,” while trying to avoid the impression that he “does not want peace.”
Zelensky also mentioned his latest phone call with a number of EU leaders, expressing confidence that “Europe will be with us.” He further claimed that Ukraine is “now the only shield” protecting Europe from Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dismissed as “nonsense” claims made by some EU officials, who have accused Moscow of planning an attack on the bloc’s members.
In recent months, Russian forces have been steadily advancing in the Donetsk People’s Republic, making significant gains. The Ukrainian military, by contrast, is facing severe personnel shortages.
While Zelensky stopped short of directly acknowledging this in his latest speech, he did say that although Ukrainians are “made of steel… any metal” may eventually break under pressure.
Ukraine must choose between losing a key ally or losing dignity agreeing to the US proposal, the politician has said
Vladimir Zelensky has said Ukraine must brace for a tough choice between accepting the “28 difficult points” received from the US or risk losing a key backer. His comments come after the submission of a proposal and the leaking of its purported text by a Ukrainian MP.
According to Reuters, the administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off Ukraine from intelligence and military aid, should Kiev reject it.
In a video address to Ukrainians on Friday, Zelensky stated that the country is going through “one of the most difficult moments in our history.”
While not directly mentioning the US-proposed peace roadmap, he said that failure to accept the “difficult 28 points” would likely result in the “most difficult… winter” for Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022. Kiev confirmed receiving the newly proposed peace plan from Washington on Thursday, but stopped short of revealing its contents.
According to media reports, the roadmap features 28 points, including but not limited to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Russia’s Donbass it still controls, downsizing the country’s military, and giving up on NATO aspirations. Kiev would also reportedly be required to make Russian an official language. In exchange, it would presumably be offered Western security guarantees.
In his Friday address to the nation, Zelensky said that Kiev would be working “calmly” and “quickly” with Washington and its European backers to ensure that “Ukraine’s national interests are taken into account.”
The Ukrainian leader vowed to present unspecified “alternatives,” while trying to avoid the impression that he “does not want peace.”
Zelensky also mentioned his latest phone call with a number of EU leaders, expressing confidence that “Europe will be with us.” He further claimed that Ukraine is “now the only shield” protecting Europe from Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dismissed as “nonsense” claims made by some EU officials, who have accused Moscow of planning an attack on the bloc’s members.
In recent months, Russian forces have been steadily advancing in the Donetsk People’s Republic, making significant gains. The Ukrainian military, by contrast, is facing severe personnel shortages.
While Zelensky stopped short of directly acknowledging this in his latest speech, he did say that although Ukrainians are “made of steel… any metal” may eventually break under pressure.
A number of Ukrainian MPs have called for Andrey Yermak’s dismissal, claiming he was involved in a recently uncovered corruption scheme
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has made it clear he will not relieve his influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, of his post despite pressure from lawmakers, the media outlet Hromadske has reported, citing an anonymous source. Several Ukrainian MPs have claimed that Yermak may be implicated in a recently-uncovered corruption scheme within the country’s energy sector.
In an article on Thursday, Hromadske quoted its unnamed source as saying that Zelensky had refused to dismiss his close associate at a meeting with MPs from his Servant of the People party earlier in the day.
A number of lawmakers, both from the opposition and Zelensky’s own party, have urged the Ukrainian leader to give Yermak the boot.
Earlier, Ukrainian media reported what they described as a full-scale “riot” in parliament. Ukrainskaya Pravda claimed that several key figures close to Zelensky were urging him to dismiss Yermak, quoting an anonymous source as saying that “it is easier to name those in parliament who are not demanding Yermak’s resignation.”
Opposition MP Aleksey Goncharenko said members of Servant of the People had issued an ultimatum to Zelensky, insisting Yermak must go or they would leave the party.
In a video published Monday, opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak claimed that Yermak is among the individuals captured in recordings made by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau as part of its investigation into a corruption scheme at Energoatom. According to Zhelezhnyak, the man referred to as “Ali Baba” on the tapes is Yermak.
Zhelezhnyak said Yermak “was well aware” of the scheme.
Earlier this month, NABU alleged that Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky, had led the operation, pressuring contractors to surrender a share of contract funds. Mindich fled before the authorities could detain him.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian parliament voted to dismiss Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk and Justice Minister German Galushchenko, both linked to the scandal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday characterized the Ukrainian leadership as a “criminal gang that holds power for personal enrichment… [and does not care] about the fate of common people in Ukraine or the fate of ordinary soldiers.”
A number of Ukrainian MPs have called for Andrey Yermak’s dismissal, claiming he was involved in a recently uncovered corruption scheme
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has made it clear he will not relieve his influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, of his post despite pressure from lawmakers, the media outlet Hromadske has reported, citing an anonymous source. Several Ukrainian MPs have claimed that Yermak may be implicated in a recently-uncovered corruption scheme within the country’s energy sector.
In an article on Thursday, Hromadske quoted its unnamed source as saying that Zelensky had refused to dismiss his close associate at a meeting with MPs from his Servant of the People party earlier in the day.
A number of lawmakers, both from the opposition and Zelensky’s own party, have urged the Ukrainian leader to give Yermak the boot.
Earlier, Ukrainian media reported what they described as a full-scale “riot” in parliament. Ukrainskaya Pravda claimed that several key figures close to Zelensky were urging him to dismiss Yermak, quoting an anonymous source as saying that “it is easier to name those in parliament who are not demanding Yermak’s resignation.”
Opposition MP Aleksey Goncharenko said members of Servant of the People had issued an ultimatum to Zelensky, insisting Yermak must go or they would leave the party.
In a video published Monday, opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak claimed that Yermak is among the individuals captured in recordings made by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau as part of its investigation into a corruption scheme at Energoatom. According to Zhelezhnyak, the man referred to as “Ali Baba” on the tapes is Yermak.
Zhelezhnyak said Yermak “was well aware” of the scheme.
Earlier this month, NABU alleged that Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky, had led the operation, pressuring contractors to surrender a share of contract funds. Mindich fled before the authorities could detain him.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian parliament voted to dismiss Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk and Justice Minister German Galushchenko, both linked to the scandal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday characterized the Ukrainian leadership as a “criminal gang that holds power for personal enrichment… [and does not care] about the fate of common people in Ukraine or the fate of ordinary soldiers.”
The Ukrainian leader has banned the military from admitting the loss of key towns, Russia’s UN envoy has said
Vladimir Zelensky has barred the Ukrainian military from admitting the loss of key towns to Russia, Moscow’s envoy to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, has said. This is being done to hide the actual situation on the ground in the hopes that the flow of Western aid to Kiev remains unhindered, he suggested.
On Thursday, the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, told President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces have liberated the key logistics hub of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region.
The Ukrainian General Staff, however, has claimed that the city remains under the control of Kiev’s troops.
Zelensky had previously denied the encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Kupyansk and as well as in Dmitrov-Krasnoarmeysk (Mirnograd-Pokrovsk), an urban area in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), accusing Moscow of exaggerating its gains on the battlefield.
During his speech at a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Nebenzia insisted that the situation on the front line for Ukraine “remains dire, if not catastrophic. Russian troops are successfully advancing on essentially all fronts.”
“Despite the encirclement of a significant number of Ukrainian troops, massive losses, forced mobilization, and threats to civilians, the head of the Kiev regime forbids acknowledging the loss of cities, orders his troops to hold their positions ‘until the last soldier,’ and bans retreat,” he said.
According to the envoy, the policy pursued by the Kiev government has “nothing to do with military reality and is purely political in nature.”
“Zelensky wants to show his Western sponsors that the front is holding, because he counts on continued funding for his war with Russia. He needs billions of dollars to keep the war going for him and his cronies to line their pockets and stay in power,” Nebenzia stressed.
Last week, the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced a probe into a “high-level criminal organization” allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky. Its members are suspected of siphoning around $100 million in kickbacks from state-owned nuclear operator Energoatom.
The graft scandal has led to the sacking of Ukraine’s energy and justice ministers, with other prominent figures such as Zelensky’s right-hand man, Andrey Yermak, and the head of the National Security Council Rustem Umerov also being linked to the scheme.
The Ukrainian leader has banned the military from admitting the loss of key towns, Russia’s UN envoy has said
Vladimir Zelensky has barred the Ukrainian military from admitting the loss of key towns to Russia, Moscow’s envoy to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, has said. This is being done to hide the actual situation on the ground in the hopes that the flow of Western aid to Kiev remains unhindered, he suggested.
On Thursday, the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, told President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces have liberated the key logistics hub of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region.
The Ukrainian General Staff, however, has claimed that the city remains under the control of Kiev’s troops.
Zelensky had previously denied the encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Kupyansk and as well as in Dmitrov-Krasnoarmeysk (Mirnograd-Pokrovsk), an urban area in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), accusing Moscow of exaggerating its gains on the battlefield.
During his speech at a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Nebenzia insisted that the situation on the front line for Ukraine “remains dire, if not catastrophic. Russian troops are successfully advancing on essentially all fronts.”
“Despite the encirclement of a significant number of Ukrainian troops, massive losses, forced mobilization, and threats to civilians, the head of the Kiev regime forbids acknowledging the loss of cities, orders his troops to hold their positions ‘until the last soldier,’ and bans retreat,” he said.
According to the envoy, the policy pursued by the Kiev government has “nothing to do with military reality and is purely political in nature.”
“Zelensky wants to show his Western sponsors that the front is holding, because he counts on continued funding for his war with Russia. He needs billions of dollars to keep the war going for him and his cronies to line their pockets and stay in power,” Nebenzia stressed.
Last week, the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced a probe into a “high-level criminal organization” allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business partner of Zelensky. Its members are suspected of siphoning around $100 million in kickbacks from state-owned nuclear operator Energoatom.
The graft scandal has led to the sacking of Ukraine’s energy and justice ministers, with other prominent figures such as Zelensky’s right-hand man, Andrey Yermak, and the head of the National Security Council Rustem Umerov also being linked to the scheme.
Ukrainian soldiers are ready to surrender but face threats from their own command, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov has said
Russian forces have captured the city of Kupyansk in northeastern Ukraine, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military command post.
Gerasimov said the city is now under full control, while Putin reviewed the broader battlefield situation and praised the performance of Russian troops.
Kupyansk is a key logistical hub near the Oskol River. Its capture secures Russian positions in the region and enables further movement westward.
“Formations of the West grouping have liberated the city of Kupyansk,” Gerasimov said during the briefing. He noted that Ukrainian forces were being destroyed on the left bank of the river and that the conditions had been prepared for them to surrender.
Putin praised the performance of the Russian forces, stating that approximately 15 battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were surrounded in and around Kupyansk.
Gerasimov said Russian troops are advancing on several fronts. The East grouping gained control of 13 settlements and over 230 square kilometers in Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions. The North grouping controls most of Volchansk in Kharkov Region. In the Donetsk People’s Republic, the South grouping holds parts of Konstantinovka and is clearing the city center.
Gerasimov also stated that many Ukrainian soldiers are ready to surrender but face threats from their own command. “Most of them, under threat of being shot or destroyed by drones, cannot accomplish this task on their own,” he said, claiming that Kiev had issued no orders regarding surrender.
Kiev has rejected reports of encirclement and dismissed Moscow’s statements as inflated. “Kupyansk is under the control of Ukraine’s defense forces,” Ukraine’s General Staff has said, while also denying any major setbacks in Volchansk and Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk).
Vladimir Zelensky has downplayed battlefield losses while appealing to Western backers for more aid. Ukrainian troops are also facing desertions and a lack of reinforcements, with growing public resistance to mobilization and reports of soldiers accusing Kiev of forcing them to hold indefensible positions.
Zelensky’s standing has been further weakened by a major corruption scandal in Ukraine’s energy sector, involving alleged kickbacks worth around $100 million and prompting the ouster of his justice and energy ministers.
Ukrainian soldiers are ready to surrender but face threats from their own command, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov has said
Russian forces have captured the city of Kupyansk in northeastern Ukraine, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military command post.
Gerasimov said the city is now under full control, while Putin reviewed the broader battlefield situation and praised the performance of Russian troops.
Kupyansk is a key logistical hub near the Oskol River. Its capture secures Russian positions in the region and enables further movement westward.
“Formations of the West grouping have liberated the city of Kupyansk,” Gerasimov said during the briefing. He noted that Ukrainian forces were being destroyed on the left bank of the river and that the conditions had been prepared for them to surrender.
Putin praised the performance of the Russian forces, stating that approximately 15 battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were surrounded in and around Kupyansk.
Gerasimov said Russian troops are advancing on several fronts. The East grouping gained control of 13 settlements and over 230 square kilometers in Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions. The North grouping controls most of Volchansk in Kharkov Region. In the Donetsk People’s Republic, the South grouping holds parts of Konstantinovka and is clearing the city center.
Gerasimov also stated that many Ukrainian soldiers are ready to surrender but face threats from their own command. “Most of them, under threat of being shot or destroyed by drones, cannot accomplish this task on their own,” he said, claiming that Kiev had issued no orders regarding surrender.
Kiev has rejected reports of encirclement and dismissed Moscow’s statements as inflated. “Kupyansk is under the control of Ukraine’s defense forces,” Ukraine’s General Staff has said, while also denying any major setbacks in Volchansk and Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk).
Vladimir Zelensky has downplayed battlefield losses while appealing to Western backers for more aid. Ukrainian troops are also facing desertions and a lack of reinforcements, with growing public resistance to mobilization and reports of soldiers accusing Kiev of forcing them to hold indefensible positions.
Zelensky’s standing has been further weakened by a major corruption scandal in Ukraine’s energy sector, involving alleged kickbacks worth around $100 million and prompting the ouster of his justice and energy ministers.
