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On Thursday Ukraine’s Dictator Vladimir Zelensky held a meeting with his European enablers, known as the Coalition of the Willing, as well as with American officials. While the officials from Washington worked to get the Dictator to agree to a peace deal by entertaining his recent demands for more security guarantees, the meeting with the Coalition of the Willing led Zelensky to announce that more war effort is needed to attain peace.
The phenomenon of the U.S. making inroads to peace only to have the Europeans undo the progress has been witnessed repeatedly throughout the conflict.
We held a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, and this is an important format for supporting Ukraine’s security now and in the future. We are working to ensure that the security guarantees include serious components of European deterrence and are reliable, and it is important that the United States is with us and supports these efforts. No one is interested in a third Russian invasion. And right now, defense support for Ukraine is especially important, because Russia’s attacks are not stopping, and there must be greater protection of life for diplomacy to work toward a just peace. Thank you to everyone who is helping.
Zelensky also held a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Generals Jack Keane, Alexus Grynkewich and Josh Gruenbaum.
Today, we have had a constructive and in-depth discussion with the American team on one of the three documents we are currently working on – the one on security guarantees. The U.S. was represented by Secretary Marco Rubio @SecRubio, Secretary Pete Hegseth @SecWar, @SteveWitkoff, @jaredkushner, Generals Keane and Grynkewich, and Josh Gruenbaum. My thanks also to @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte of NATO.
We greatly value the active engagement of the American side at all levels – not only in working to end the war, but also in ensuring Ukraine’s security and preventing a new Russian invasion. This reflects the seriousness of America’s intentions and its clear focus on achieving outcomes.
Security guarantees are among the most critical elements for all subsequent steps. We have already got the negative experience of the Budapest Memorandum. Everyone remembers this, as well as the occasions when Russia repeatedly violated all its other commitments. That is why it is essential that this document on security guarantees provides concrete answers to what concerns Ukrainians the most: what actions partners will take if Russia decides to launch its aggression again.
It was agreed that the teams will work actively to ensure that, in the near future, there will be a clear understanding of the security guarantees. I thank everyone who is helping!
War is on the mind in Europe. On Thursday NATO Chief Mark Rutte said that European nations must prepare for a large-scale war with Russia which will rival the World Wars of the 20th century.
“We are Russia’s next target. And we are already in harm’s way,” Rutte said during a speech in Berlin, Germany. “Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great grandparents endured.”
On Wednesday Dictator Zelensky made a series of proclamations surrounding the future of Ukraine after the war, but did not get to the point of signing a peace deal.
He claimed he will be willing to hold elections in 60 to 90 days, assuming the nations that back him can “guarantee security for the vote,” a subjective standard that is open to capricious backtracking, a behavior Zelensky has exhibited in the past.
“I am ready for the elections,” Zelensky told reporters. “Not only that, I am asking – and I am now declaring this openly – the United States of America to help me, together with our European colleagues, to ensure security for the elections.”
He also held a meeting with officials from Washington regarding the country’s post-war reconstruction plans, despite the war not being over due to Zelensky’s refusal of peace. The meeting was financial and industrial in nature, featuring U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
While not accepting a peace plan during Wednesday’s meeting, the Dictator did say that his team from Kiev “updated” their “reflections” on the 20-point peace plan which is currently on the table.
Note this 20-point plan is a later derivation on the White House’s 28-point plan put out in November.
Following the economic meeting with U.S. officials on Wednesday, Zelensky discussed Ukraine’s future after war, the Dictator announced he is working on a 20-point peace plan which he called a “fundamental document.”
Trump had gifted Ukraine’s Dictator a generous extension to ending his war. Previously the President said the Dictator had until Thanksgiving to accept peace or be cut off from U.S. support, but since that deadline has came and gone Trump will continue his support of Ukraine until Christmas (likely the Western Christmas on December 25).
