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.

Read more

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.”

Read more

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.”

Read more

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.”

Read more

“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.

READ MORE: Ukraine led by ‘criminal gang on golden potties’ – Putin

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.”

Read more

“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.

READ MORE: Ukraine led by ‘criminal gang on golden potties’ – Putin

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Bookstores and online marketplaces have reportedly halted sales of the horror novel ‘It’ over underage sexual content

Stephen King’s horror novel ‘It’ has been pulled from sale in Russian bookstores and online marketplaces, according to Russian media reports on Thursday.

One of the American writer’s most popular works, first published in 1986, the novel contains controversial content, including a scene widely described as an orgy involving minors and characters with non-traditional sexual orientations.

Russia banned content promoting same-sex relations in 2022 and later designated the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization. While there is no official blacklist of prohibited literature, a major retailer removed more than 250 books in 2024 over alleged violations, including some of King’s works.

Russia’s leading publisher AST told the business daily Vedomosti that it had temporarily withdrawn King’s books “in order to update product marking issues,” a reference to age-restriction and content-warning labels required under Russian law.

Read more

AST has long sold ‘It’ with a 16+ age label, but under the law introduced in 2022, works containing LGBT-related themes or sexual content must carry a 18+ designation.

Meanwhile, online retailer Wildberries said it “strictly complies with legislation and does not allow the sale of products prohibited on the territory of Russia.”

King ceased working with his Russian publisher in March 2022, soon after the start of the Ukraine conflict. He has actively supported Kiev in the ongoing conflict and has repeatedly accused Russian forces of killing civilians.

Bookstores and online marketplaces have reportedly halted sales of the horror novel ‘It’ over underage sexual content

Stephen King’s horror novel ‘It’ has been pulled from sale in Russian bookstores and online marketplaces, according to Russian media reports on Thursday.

One of the American writer’s most popular works, first published in 1986, the novel contains controversial content, including a scene widely described as an orgy involving minors and characters with non-traditional sexual orientations.

Russia banned content promoting same-sex relations in 2022 and later designated the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist organization. While there is no official blacklist of prohibited literature, a major retailer removed more than 250 books in 2024 over alleged violations, including some of King’s works.

Russia’s leading publisher AST told the business daily Vedomosti that it had temporarily withdrawn King’s books “in order to update product marking issues,” a reference to age-restriction and content-warning labels required under Russian law.

Read more

AST has long sold ‘It’ with a 16+ age label, but under the law introduced in 2022, works containing LGBT-related themes or sexual content must carry a 18+ designation.

Meanwhile, online retailer Wildberries said it “strictly complies with legislation and does not allow the sale of products prohibited on the territory of Russia.”

King ceased working with his Russian publisher in March 2022, soon after the start of the Ukraine conflict. He has actively supported Kiev in the ongoing conflict and has repeatedly accused Russian forces of killing civilians.

Kiev earlier confirmed having received a draft from the US and signaled a readiness to discuss it

Ukrainian opposition MP Aleksey Goncharenko has published the text of a peace plan reportedly presented to Kiev by the US administration this week.

The lawmaker posted on social media what appeared to be screenshots of a Ukrainian-language electronic document detailing the 28-point peace plan to end the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev.

Earlier in the day, Vladimir Zelensky’s office confirmed the US presented Kiev with its new draft plan. The Ukrainian administration did not elaborate on its contents, only expressing a willingness to discuss it and stating that “in the American side’s assessment” the plan “could help reinvigorate diplomacy.”

Here’s the full text of the post:

1. Ukraine’s sovereignty will be confirmed.

2. A full and comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. All ambiguities of the past 30 years will be considered resolved.

3. It is expected that Russia will not invade neighbouring countries and that NATO will not expand further.

4. A dialogue will be conducted between Russia and NATO, mediated by the United States, to resolve all security issues and create conditions for de-escalation, thereby ensuring global security and increasing opportunities for cooperation and future economic development.

5. Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees.

6. The size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be limited to (6)00,000 personnel.

7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to include in its statutes a provision that it will not accept Ukraine in the future.

8. NATO agrees not to deploy troops in Ukraine.

9. European fighter aircraft will be stationed in Poland.

10. US Guarantees: The United States will receive compensation for the guarantee. If Ukraine invades Russia, it will lose the guarantee. If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a decisive coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be reinstated, recognition of new territories and all other benefits of this deal will be revoked. If Ukraine without cause launches a missile at Moscow or Saint Petersburg, the security guarantee will be considered invalid.

11. Ukraine retains the right to EU membership and will receive short-term preferential access to the European market while the issue is under consideration.

12. A powerful global package of measures for the reconstruction of Ukraine, including but not limited to:
a. Creation of a Ukraine Development Fund to invest in high-growth sectors, including technology, data-processing centres, and artificial intelligence.
b. The United States will cooperate with Ukraine on the joint reconstruction, development, modernization, and operation of Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities.
c. Joint efforts to restore war-affected territories, including the reconstruction and modernization of cities and residential areas.
d. Infrastructure development.
e. Extraction of minerals and natural resources.
f. The World Bank will develop a special financing package to accelerate these efforts.

13. Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy:
a. The lifting of sanctions will be discussed and agreed upon gradually and on an individual basis.
b. The United States will conclude a long-term economic cooperation agreement aimed at mutual development in the fields of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data-processing centres, rare-earth mining projects in the Arctic, and other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities.
c. Russia will be invited to return to the G8.

14. Frozen assets will be used in the following way: $100 billion of frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led reconstruction and investment efforts in Ukraine. The United States will receive 50% of the profits from this undertaking. Europe will add another $100 billion to increase the total investment available for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Frozen European assets will be unfrozen. The remaining frozen Russian assets will be invested in a separate American-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint American-Russian projects in areas to be determined. This fund will be aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and increasing shared interests in order to create strong motivation not to return to conflict.

15. A joint American-Russian working group on security issues will be established to facilitate and ensure the fulfilment of all provisions of this agreement.

16. Russia will legislatively enshrine a policy of non-aggression toward Europe and Ukraine.

17. The United States and Russia will agree to extend the validity of treaties on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and arms control, including START-1.

18. Ukraine agrees to remain a non-nuclear state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

19. The Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant will be restarted under IAEA supervision, and the generated electricity will be split equally between Russia and Ukraine (50:50).

20. Both countries undertake to introduce educational programmes in schools and society that promote understanding and tolerance of different cultures and the elimination of racism and prejudice:
a. Ukraine will adopt EU rules on religious tolerance and protection of linguistic minorities.
b. Both countries agree to lift all discriminatory measures and to guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education.
c. All Nazi ideology and activity must be rejected and prohibited.

21. Territories:
a. Crimea, Lugansk, and Donetsk will be recognized de facto as Russian, including by the United States.
b. Kherson and Zaporozhye will be frozen along the line of contact, which will mean de facto recognition along the line of contact.
c. Russia renounces other territories (probably referring to parts of Kharkov, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts – Ed.) that it controls outside the five regions.
d. Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk oblast they currently control; this withdrawal zone will be regarded as a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces will not enter this demilitarized zone.

22. After future territorial arrangements are agreed, both the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertake not to change these arrangements by force. Any security guarantees will not apply in the event of violation of this commitment.

23. Russia will not obstruct Ukraine’s commercial use of the Dnepr River, and agreements will be reached on the free transportation of grain across the Black Sea.

24. A humanitarian committee will be created to resolve outstanding issues:
a. All remaining prisoners and bodies will be exchanged on the “all-for-all” principle.
b. All civilian detainees and hostages will be returned, including children.
c. A family reunification programme will be implemented.
d. Measures will be taken to alleviate the suffering of conflict victims.

25. Ukraine will hold elections 100 days after the agreement is signed.

26. All parties involved in the conflict will receive full amnesty for actions committed during the war and will undertake not to file claims or pursue complaints in the future.

27. This agreement will be legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by a Peace Council headed by President Trump. Predetermined sanctions will apply in the event of violations.

28. Once all parties have agreed to and signed this memorandum, the ceasefire will enter into force immediately after both sides withdraw to the agreed positions so that implementation of the agreement can begin.