According to Axios reports, Donald Trump's advisers, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, appeared to have asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the handover of the Donbas region during a phone call, without the possibility of negotiations or compensation.
According to sources, the American proposal for "peace" became even tougher for Ukraine after a five-hour meeting between Trump's advisers and Vladimir Putin on December 2.
The updated plan included harsh demands: territorial concessions, handing over control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, and a total lack of security guarantees.
It is reported that Zelensky was essentially forced to unilaterally accept the loss of Donbas, violating any possibility of dialogue or a solution favorable to Ukraine.
Ukraine prepares new peace plan
Ukraine is drafting a new version of the peace plan to present to the White House, while President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated that there is no possibility that his country will accept the surrender of territory to Russia.
His statements were made during a diplomatic tour of Europe, where Zelensky met with EU and NATO leaders in an attempt to curb American pressure for a deal that, according to Kiev and some European capitals, could leave Ukraine vulnerable to new aggression in the future.
Revised plan for the US
According to AFP, the Ukrainian president announced that his team could send a revised proposal to Washington as early as Tuesday. This followed a weekend of intense negotiations between the American and Ukrainian delegations, which ended without a common agreement.
Zelensky stressed that he could not accept any Russian demand for territorial surrender: "We have neither the legal nor the moral right. Our Constitution does not allow any change of borders without a popular referendum," he said.
The American plan – from 28 points to 20
Ukrainian media reports that the first draft proposed by the US, which was opposed by Kiev and some European leaders as too favorable to Moscow, has been reduced from 28 to 20 points.
Zelensky said that no "pro-Ukrainian" elements have been removed, but disagreements on key issues continue:
Control of Donbas, which Russia seeks to take over completely, despite not having fully occupied it;
The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, where the original plan envisaged sharing energy between Russia and Ukraine.
These remain the most "sensitive" points, according to the Ukrainian president.
European leaders, coordinated pressure on the US
The surprise summit at Downing Street, held between Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, was interpreted as a clear demonstration of support for Ukraine.
According to the British Government, the four leaders agreed that this is a "critical moment" in the US-led talks and that any future agreement must guarantee a "just and lasting peace", which includes strong security guarantees for Ukraine.