President Donald Trump presented Ukraine with a “peace deal” on Nov. 21, 2025, which frankly reads more like a surrender plan. But when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concerns about the terms, he decided to bully him online.
Trump’s 28-point peace plan has put Ukraine in a sensitive position. Accepting the plan would mean ceding its eastern territories to Russia, capsizing its postwar troops, and abandoning its NATO dreams. On top of it, Trump has threatened that if they refuse the plan, they’re practically on their own. He also wants the Ukrainian leadership to accept the plan by Thanksgiving, i.e., Nov. 27. Failing to do so also invites threats from Russia to continue their offense.
So, it’s Trump’s bullying on the one hand, and Russia’s threat to push on with its offensive on the other. In a speech on Friday, Nov. 21, Zelenskyy called it “one of the most difficult moments in our history.” He explained that the nation is being forced to choose between “loss of dignity” or “losing a key partner.” He also feared that if the war didn’t end now, Ukraine would have to face “an extremely difficult winter.” (via NY Times)
Zelenskyy decided to “offer alternatives” to Trump’s peace plan
For the sake of his country’s sovereignty, Zelenskyy announced that he would “offer alternatives” to Trump’s 28-point plan. But Trump isn’t having any of it. On Saturday, he asserted that Zelenskyy will “have to like” his proposed plan. If that doesn’t sound like a threat in itself, he continued, “If he doesn’t like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting.”
The words don’t echo like something out of an empathetic leader’s mouth. Trump added that “at some point he’s going to have to accept something.” However, he offered some relief to Kyiv, saying it’s not his final offer, and there’s some room for negotiation. Trump keeps giving mixed signals to Ukraine, but the nation doesn’t have enough time to play around with it.
Trump calls Ukraine ungrateful for his help
Then, on Nov. 23, Trump took to his Truth Social to badmouth the Ukrainian leadership and the former U.S. government under Joe Biden. “The War between Russia and Ukraine is a violent and terrible one that, with strong and proper U.S. and Ukrainian LEADERSHIP, would have NEVER HAPPENED,” he wrote. He went on to claim that if he had won the 2020 elections, “there would be no Ukraine/Russia War.”
Patting his own back, he said that “Putin would never have attacked” during his term. He substantiated this claim by asserting that there was “not even a mention” of the war during his first term. “It was only when he saw Sleepy Joe in action that he said, Now is my chance,'” the president wrote. He then diverted his attack to Ukraine, claiming that “UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS.”
Naturally, no part of Trump’s long rant is true. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine began way before even Trump’s first term. In Feb. 2014, Moscow first launched military operations leading to the annexation of Crimea, followed by a seizure of Donetsk and Luhansk. (via Britannica) So, Russia’s intent to attack Ukraine has been clear before Trump took office in 2017.
Ukraine thanks Trump, presents a counter-plan to his proposal
President Zelenskyy has time and again expressed his thanks to the U.S. for its military and intelligence aid. Yet, after the Sunday attack, the president again reiterated his gratitude. On X, he wrote:
“Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart, and personally to President Trump for the assistance that – starting with the Javelins – has been saving Ukrainian lives. We thank everyone in Europe, in the G7, and in the G20, who is helping us defend life. It is important to preserve the support.”
Then on Sunday, during talks in Geneva, the U.S. and Ukraine reportedly discussed a new version of the 28-point deal. In the counter-plan suggested by Ukrainian officials, they refused to cede the Donbas region to Russia. Instead, Ukraine insists that “negotiations on territorial swaps will start from the Line of Contact” after the war ends.
For now, a joint statement from the U.S. and Ukraine claimed that the talks were “constructive, focused, and respectful.” But Russia is yet to respond to the counter-plan.
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