The US is warning NATO that if Zelensky does not sign the peace agreement, Ukraine will face even worse things in the future. The US Army secretary chastised the ambassadors at a “nightmare meeting” in Kyiv on Friday after talks with the Ukrainian leader.
US officials have told NATO allies they expect to push Vladimir Zelensky to agree to a peace deal in the coming days, threatening that if Kiev does not sign, the country will face a much worse deal in the future.
According to The Guardian, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll made the announcement to NATO ambassadors at a meeting in Kyiv late on Friday, following talks with Zelensky and a phone call from the White House.
“No deal is perfect, but it needs to be done as soon as possible,” he said, according to one person present.
The atmosphere in the room became gloomy when some European ambassadors questioned the content of the agreement and how the US negotiated with Russia without informing its allies, The Guardian commented.
“It was a nightmare meeting. It was the 'you have no cards' argument again,” the source said, referring to Trump's claim that Zelensky had no cards to play during a contentious meeting with Kyiv tourists at the White House in February.
The currently proposed deal contains a number of provisions that would likely be unacceptable to Kiev, including a requirement to relinquish Russian-controlled territory as well as other territories that Kyiv still holds. It is also expected that there will be an amnesty for all war crimes committed during the conflict.
On Friday, Zelensky sent a video message to the country, saying this was “one of the most difficult times in our history.” According to him, Ukraine faces a choice: “lose its dignity or lose a key ally.”
Dan Driscoll, a close friend of US Vice President JD Vance, who was recently appointed special envoy for Ukraine, refused to go into detail about whether the deal in question was consistent with the 28-point plan announced to the press.
“Some things are important, some things are just window dressing — and we're most focused on what's most important,” he said, according to the source.
The announcement of the US plan earlier this week surprised Ukraine's other allies, who were unaware of the content and form of the plan. The Guardian notes: There are concerns in Europe that Russia has too much influence in negotiations over the draft agreement, which was presented to the Ukrainians as a done deal.
Driscoll defends this approach, saying it makes the process more manageable.
According to a source present, he said: “President Trump now wants peace. The more chefs there are in the kitchen, the more difficult it is to solve.”
Julie Davis, the US charge d'affaires in Kiev, also attended the meeting and told other diplomats that although the terms of the agreement appeared harsh for Ukraine, the country had no choice but to agree or face worse conditions in the future.
“From this point on, the deal got worse, not better,” she said.
Trump is eager for Zelensky to agree to a deal before Thanksgiving, which falls on Thursday, November 27. Davis told reporters earlier this week that Trump was committed to a “tight timeline” for agreeing to a deal.
“We have seen an absolutely remarkable pace of diplomatic activity,” she said on the sidelines of a reception at the ambassador's residence in Kyiv honoring Driscoll and his U.S. Army delegation, attended by senior Ukrainian military officials.
She said diplomacy is the “most ambitious” field she has seen in her diplomatic career.
The plan was allegedly developed by Trump aide Steve Witkoff and Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev, and the relationship has become an important channel of communication between Washington and Moscow, The Guardian writes, adding that Driscoll is expected to travel to Russia soon to discuss the plan.
