European sources told CNN that Europe has begun to fear the U.S. president's withdrawal from peace negotiations on Ukraine due to the lack of progress. Trump may blame Kyiv and its allies for the failure of the agreement.
In Europe, there are concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump may lose patience due to the lack of progress in peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Trump may withdraw from them, blaming Kyiv and European capitals for allegedly obstructing a peace agreement with Moscow, American television channel CNN reported on the night of Wednesday, December 10, citing unnamed European officials.
In turn, an anonymous senior U.S. official agreed with this assumption, stating to the channel that for the White House chief, "this endless war is becoming an increasing political burden." Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated on Fox News that Trump may abandon efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine if he decides that reaching a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv is impossible.
WSJ Sources in Europe: Trump Sets Unachievable Tasks
At the same time, European sources from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted that the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia may need "weeks or months" to resolve contradictions in key points of the peace plan. One of the publication's sources said that Washington is setting unachievable tasks for Kyiv and the EU. "We know that the Americans want quick results. However, it is hard to imagine how, given the complexity of the issues being discussed, we can achieve quick results," the source stated.
Meanwhile, as sources from the Financial Times (FT) claimed the night before, Donald Trump gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky time until Christmas, which is celebrated on December 25 in the U.S. and Ukraine, to agree to the U.S. peace plan. At the same time, a source from RBC-Ukraine in Kyiv confirmed that Trump is indeed waiting for a quick response from Zelensky but did not set a specific deadline.
Zelensky: U.S. Peace Plan Reduced from 28 to 20 Points
The U.S. peace plan, which consisted of 28 points, has been revised and reduced to 20 points after consultations between European leaders and the Ukrainian side, Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on the evening of December 8, aboard the plane he was flying from London to Brussels. "There were 28 points, now there are 20. We leveled this direction, and frankly, the not pro-Ukrainian points have been removed. The mood of the Americans is generally in favor of finding a compromise. Of course, there are complex issues regarding territory. A compromise has not yet been found there," the agency Interfax-Ukraine quoted Zelensky's responses. He promised to complete work on the current version of the plan by the end of December 9 and then send it to Washington.
Speaking with reporters, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine has no right to give up its territories either under the country's constitution or international law. "Of course, Russia insists that we give up territories. We definitely do not want to give anything up - that is what we are fighting for," the Ukrainian president's words were reported by the Suspilne channel. Zelensky also touched on the issue of security guarantees. "The strongest security guarantees we can get are from the U.S. Of course, if it is not the Budapest Memorandum, not empty promises, but if they are put to a vote in the U.S. Congress," he emphasized.
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