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Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Friday (November 21, 2025) cautiously welcomed a U.S. connection to extremity Moscow's astir four-year warfare successful Ukraine, saying it “could signifier the ground of a last bid settlement."
Mr. Putin said Moscow had received the plan, which helium called “a caller version” and “a modernised plan," which helium said “could signifier the ground for a last bid settlement.”
"But this substance has not been discussed with america successful immoderate substantive way, and I tin conjecture why,” helium said successful Moscow.
"The U.S. medication has truthful acold been incapable to unafraid the consent of the Ukrainian side. Ukraine is against it. Apparently, Ukraine and its European allies are inactive nether illusions and the imagination of inflicting a strategical decision connected Russia connected the battlefield.”
Earlier Friday (November 21), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said successful an code that his state is astatine a pivotal constituent successful its four-year combat to decision Russia's invasion, with Ukrainians perchance facing a prime betwixt lasting up for their sovereign rights oregon losing American enactment arsenic leaders negociate a U.S. bid proposal.
The U.S/ program contains galore of Putin's longstanding demands portion offering constricted information guarantees to Ukraine. It foresees Ukraine handing implicit territory to Russia, thing Mr. Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out, reduces the size of it service and blocks its coveted way to NATO membership.
Mr. Zelenskyy pledged to clasp constructive discussions with Washington astatine what helium called “truly 1 of the astir hard moments successful our history.”
Mr. Zelenskyy said helium spoke for astir an hr Friday (November 21) with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll astir the bid proposal.
U.S. President Donald Trump successful a vigor interrogation connected Friday (November 21) said that helium wants an reply from Zelenskyy connected his 28-point program by Thursday (November 27), but says an hold is imaginable to finalise terms.
“I've had a batch of deadlines, but if things are moving well, you thin to widen the deadlines,” Trump said successful an interrogation connected the Brian Kilmeade Show connected Fox News Radio. “But Thursday is it — we deliberation an due time.”
While Mr. Zelenskyy has offered to negociate with the U.S. and Russia, helium signalled Ukraine whitethorn not get everything it wants and has to face the anticipation of losing American enactment if it makes a stand.
“Currently, the unit connected Ukraine is 1 of the hardest," Mr. Zelenskyy said successful a recorded speech. "Ukraine whitethorn present look a precise hard choice, either losing its dignity oregon the hazard of losing a cardinal partner.” “We volition enactment calmly with America and each partners," helium said, but insisted connected just treatment.
He urged Ukrainians to “stop fighting” each other, successful a imaginable notation to a large corruption ungraded that has brought fierce disapproval of the government, and said bid talks adjacent week “will beryllium precise difficult.”
Europe says it volition support supporting Ukraine
Mr. Zelenskyy spoke earlier by telephone with the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom, who assured him of their continued support, arsenic European officials scrambled to respond to the U/S/ proposals that seemingly caught them unawares.
Wary of antagonising Mr. Trump, the European and Ukrainian responses were cautiously worded and pointedly commended American bid efforts.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelenskyy of “their unchanged and afloat enactment connected the mode to a lasting and conscionable peace” successful Ukraine, Merz's bureau said.
The 4 leaders welcomed U.S. efforts to extremity the war. “In particular, they welcomed the committedness to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to assistance Ukraine coagulated information guarantees,” the connection added.
The enactment of interaction indispensable beryllium the departure constituent for an agreement, they said, and "the Ukrainian equipped forces indispensable stay successful a presumption to support the sovereignty of Ukraine effectively.” PM Starmer said the close of Ukraine to "determine its aboriginal nether its sovereignty is simply a cardinal principle.”
Existential menace to Europe
European countries spot their ain futures astatine involvement successful Ukraine's combat against the Russian penetration and person insisted connected being consulted successful bid efforts.
“Russia's warfare against Ukraine is an existential menace to Europe. We each privation this warfare to end. But however it ends matters,” EU overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas said successful Brussels.
“Russia has nary ineligible close whatsoever to immoderate concessions from the state it invaded. Ultimately, the presumption of immoderate statement are for Ukraine to decide." Mr. Trump successful his vigor interrogation pushed backmost against the conception that the settlement, which offers plentiful concessions to Russia, would embolden Putin to transportation retired further malign enactment connected his European neighbours.
“He's not reasoning of much war," Mr. Trump said of Mr. Putin. "He's reasoning punishment. Say what you want. I mean, this was expected to beryllium a one-day warfare that has been 4 years now.”
A European authorities authoritative said that the U.S. plans weren't officially presented to Ukraine's European backers.
Many of the proposals are “quite concerning,” the authoritative said, adding that a atrocious woody for Ukraine would besides beryllium a menace to broader European security.
The authoritative spoke to The Associated Press on information of anonymity arsenic they were not authorised to sermon the program publicly.
European Council President Antonio Costa successful Johannesburg said of the U.S. proposals: “The European Union has not been communicated (about) immoderate plans successful (an) authoritative manner.”
Ukraine examines the proposals
Ukrainian officials said they were weighing the U.S. proposals, and Mr. Zelenskyy said helium expected to speech to Mr. Trump astir it successful coming days.
A U.S. squad began drafting up the program soon aft U.S. peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Rustem Umerov, a apical advisor to Zelenskyy, according to a elder Trump medication authoritative who was not authorised to remark publically and spoke connected the information of anonymity.
The authoritative added that Umerov agreed to astir of the plan, aft making respective modifications, and past presented it to Mr. Zelenskyy.
However, Mr. Umerov connected Friday (November 21) denied that mentation of events. He said helium lone organised meetings and prepared the talks.
He said method talks betwixt the U.S. and Ukraine were continuing successful Kyiv.
“We are thoughtfully processing the partners' proposals wrong the model of Ukraine's unchanging principles — sovereignty, people's security, and a conscionable peace,” helium said.
