Trump's High-Stakes Peace Push: Ukraine Given One Week Deadline
In a dramatic move that has sent shockwaves through European capitals, the White House has given Ukraine less than a week to sign a comprehensive peace plan requiring significant concessions to Russia. President Donald Trump's aggressive timeline mirrors the approach he successfully employed to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, applying intense pressure through deadlines and personal diplomacy to end the grinding conflict.
The 28-point draft proposal, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has already endorsed as a potential basis for resolving the war, has triggered deep anxiety among Ukrainian and European officials. They are scrambling to rework what many perceive as a one-sided agreement that heavily favors Moscow.
The Gaza Playbook: A Familiar Pattern
According to former U.S. Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Trump's Ukraine strategy follows the exact same script as his 20-point Gaza plan. Both feature a short-term, transactional take-it-or-leave-it approach designed to quickly stop the fighting, though not necessarily resolve the underlying conflict.
Miller emphasized that both plans were clearly structured to heavily favor one combatant—Russia in Ukraine's case, and Israel in Gaza. The parallel extends to the key personnel involved, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner working on both initiatives. However, in a significant departure, Kremlin confidant Kirill Dmitriev participated in consultations for the Ukraine proposal.
The administration's pressure tactics recall Trump's late September warning to Hamas, when he gave the group three to four days to accept the U.S.-crafted ceasefire deal or face severe consequences. Trump also privately pressured a reluctant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the terms, ultimately announcing agreement on October 8.
Ukraine's Existential Dilemma
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the ultimatum as confronting Ukraine with one of the most difficult moments in the nation's history. In a video address on Friday, Zelensky starkly framed the choice: Either loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner. He unequivocally stated, We choose dignity.
The situation represents a sharp tonal shift from recent statements where Trump suggested the U.S. could bolster Ukraine by sending long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles and even predicted the country might recapture all territory seized by Russian forces since 2022.
Former officials note that the stakes in Ukraine are substantially higher than in Gaza. Richard Haass, former head of the Council on Foreign Relations, highlighted the existential nature of the Ukrainian proposal compared to the relatively modest Gaza arrangement. We weren't asking Israel to agree to a Palestinian state, Haass noted, emphasizing the profound consequences for Ukrainian sovereignty and European security.
Plan Details and Security Concerns
The comprehensive 28-point plan includes several controversial provisions that have raised alarms among Ukraine's supporters:
- Establishment of a Peace Council, mirroring the Gaza Board of Peace, to monitor implementation with Trump as head
- Military caps limiting Ukraine's armed forces to 600,000 troops
- Preclusion of European-led reassurance forces inside Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression
- Security guarantee provisions requiring U.S. presidential consultations if Russia launches significant attacks post-agreement
While former Trump administration official Andrew Peek described Russia's agreement to Western-exclusive security guarantees as a significant achievement, other analysts remain skeptical. Rebeccah Heinrichs of the Hudson Institute warned that the plan asks Ukraine to trade tangible security for mere promises of consultation, while allowing Russia to establish a favorable narrative regardless of the outcome.
Despite the pressure, Zelensky indicated after speaking with Vice President JD Vance that he hasn't abandoned efforts to persuade the White House to amend the terms. Both leaders agreed to have their advisers work toward finding a workable path to peace, suggesting ongoing negotiations despite the tight deadline.
As the one-week clock ticks down, the international community watches anxiously to see whether Trump's high-pressure diplomacy will yield another ceasefire breakthrough or further complicate an already volatile geopolitical landscape.
