Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that he has no 'constitutional' or 'moral' right to cede Ukrainian territory, stating that any potential settlement on land issues must be approved by the Ukrainian people. 'I believe the Ukrainian people will answer this question,' he said. The White House announced on Thursday that US President Donald Trump is 'very upset' with Ukraine. The White House confirmed that US President Donald Trump is 'very upset' with the positions of Ukraine and Russia regarding peace talks, while Kyiv stated that Washington continues to pressure it to cede land to Moscow to end the war that began in February 2022. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists the day before that 'the president is very frustrated with both warring camps and is tired of holding meetings whose only purpose is to meet.' She added, 'He no longer wants talk, he wants action. He wants this war to be over.' Zelenskyy made statements suggesting that nothing fundamental has changed in the US position on how to resolve the conflict since they sent a 28-point plan to Kyiv and Moscow last month, which was seen as aligned with many Russian demands. At a press conference, Zelenskyy stated that the US wants Ukraine to unilaterally withdraw its troops from parts of the Donetsk region, where a 'demilitarized free economic zone' between the two armies is planned. The modified American plan stipulates that Moscow will remain in its current positions in the south of the country but will withdraw some of its troops from Ukrainian territories that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not annex in the north. Ukraine studied the plan and sent a 20-point counter-proposal to Washington, the full details of which have not been released. 'We have two fundamental disagreements: the Donetsk region and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Whether through elections or a referendum, there must be a position from the Ukrainian people,' Zelenskyy clarified. He also rejected the idea of a unilateral Ukrainian troop withdrawal from the Donetsk region. 'Why doesn't the other side in the war withdraw the same distance in the opposite direction?' he asked, adding that 'many questions' remain outstanding. Under the American plan, Russia would withdraw its troops from territories it occupies in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions—three areas that Moscow has not officially claimed sovereignty over. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that she had held talks with partners in the 'Coalition of the Willing,' which brings together Kyiv's supporters. She added in a post on the social media platform 'X' the night before: 'Despite the pressure, we are determined on our goal: to achieve a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.' She explained that 'the word lasting means that any peace agreement must not contain the seeds of future conflict and must not undermine the entire European security architecture.' In 2022, Russia declared the annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, despite not having full control over them. According to a France Presse analysis based on data from the Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian forces still control about a fifth of the Donetsk region. Russia, which has a numerical and military advantage, continues to make gradual progress on the battlefield. It recently announced control of the city of Siversk in the Donetsk region, where its army is advancing at its fastest pace in a year, according to a France Presse analysis. However, the Eastern Operational Command of the Ukrainian army denied the fall of Siversk, stating that the city 'is still under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.' 'A decisive week,' said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, adding that 'next week will be decisive' for Ukraine, reiterating her call for a 'just and lasting peace.' 'These are the two issues we are still discussing.'
