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The United States has warned that it could scale back intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries to Ukraine as part of an effort to push Kyiv into accepting the outlines of a US-brokered peace agreement, two people familiar with the situation told Reuters..
The sources, who spoke anonymously, said Washington is exerting more pressure on Ukraine now than at any earlier stage of peace discussions, and wants Kyiv to sign on to the framework of the proposed deal by next Thursday.
“They want to stop the war and want Ukraine to pay the price,” one of the individuals said.
A team of senior U.S. military officials held talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday to discuss potential steps toward ending the conflict.
The U.S. ambassador in Ukraine and the army public affairs chief travelling with the delegation described the meeting as a success and said Washington sought an ”aggressive timeline” for the signature of a document between the U.S. and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom spoke by phone Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, assuring him of their continued support amid the war with Russia as European officials scrambled to respond to U.S. peace proposals that apparently caught them unawares.
The U.S. plan contains many of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s longstanding demands, including Ukrainian territorial concessions, while offering limited security guarantees to Ukraine.
Wary of antagonising U.S. President Donald Trump, the European and Ukrainian responses were cautiously worded and pointedly commended American peace efforts.
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View AllGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer assured Zelenskyy of “their unchanged and full support on the way to a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine, Merz’s office said.
The four leaders welcomed U.S. efforts to end the war. “In particular, they welcomed the commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine and the readiness to grant Ukraine solid security guarantees,” the statement added.
“They agreed to continue pursuing the aim of protecting vital European and Ukrainian interests in the long term,” the statement said. “That includes the line of contact being the point of departure for an agreement and that the Ukrainian armed forces must remain in a position to defend the sovereignty of Ukraine effectively.”
The plan foresees Ukraine handing over territory to Russia, something Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out, and blocks its route to NATO membership.
Zelenskyy said the leaders discussed the plan and appreciated the efforts of Trump and his team, although he added that they are “working on the document.”
“We are closely coordinating to ensure that the principled positions are taken into account,” Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post.
The proposals come at a difficult time for Zelenskyy, who is grappling with a push on the battlefield by Russia’s bigger army and a major domestic corruption scandal.
With inputs from agencies
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