Pressure on Kyiv: what lies behind the American demands and why the situation around the peace plan is becoming more complicated

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky found himself facing a new line of pressure from the United States. Sources cited by Axios describe the negotiations as an attempt to persuade Kyiv to make “significant territorial concessions.” Directly, without circumlocutions, which in itself speaks to the political temperature of the moment.

Officials claim that the conversation with Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy, as well as with Jared Kushner, created the impression that Washington is pushing Kyiv to accept conditions that could allow Russia to claim the entire Donbas. In the Ukrainian leadership, this was perceived as an attempt to accelerate the process, bypassing complex security details.

Some interlocutors of Axios claim that the White House effectively voiced a set of parameters that Zelensky would have to accept to move the peace agreement forward.

What changes in the new plan

According to sources, during the discussion of the updated plan, the US insisted on tougher conditions. It is not only about territories. The issue of control over the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains open, which was previously considered a critically important element of any future agreements.

Security guarantees have not received clear outlines, which increased Kyiv’s concern: any concessions without a developed protection mechanism appear politically risky.

Intensification of negotiations and increasing pressure

On December 8, as reported by AFP and France24, the US increased pressure, demanding to speed up decision-making. Sources claim that Ukraine was offered to agree to a document, the details of which still need to be discussed, and the security contours need to be refined.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Kyiv doubts whether it is possible to discuss concessions while all risks and obligations of the parties are not defined.

Conversation on December 6 and awaiting reports

Zelensky previously spoke of a “long and substantive” conversation with Witkoff and Kushner. He expected analysis from Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov following correspondence with the US. Umerov and Hnatov were in Florida a few days before, where negotiations with American representatives were held.

According to sources, the Ukrainian side is trying to assess how much the proposed peace option aligns with the basic principles of defense and international law.

What Trump said

Commenting on the situation on December 7, Trump stated that Zelensky is “not ready” to consider the American plan. This sounded more like a public signal than a diplomatic remark. He expressed disappointment that the Ukrainian president “has not yet studied” the proposal.

It is possible that in this way Trump is trying to secure the role of the US as the initiator of peace, even if the content of this plan causes tension among Kyiv’s allies.

What next

Negotiations are not over. Shifts are possible, but there is still too much uncertainty: from the borders of the future agreement to security guarantees. Internal discussions in Kyiv remain tough, and the international dynamics are unstable.

The situation is developing rapidly, and such moments show how difficult it is to build a strategy when pressure comes simultaneously from several directions. The editorial team of NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency continues to monitor the developments.