In a week marked by high-stakes diplomacy and sharp rhetoric, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump have found themselves at the center of renewed tensions over the future of Ukraine’s war with Russia. As Ukraine prepares to unveil a revised peace plan to the White House, Zelensky has doubled down on his refusal to surrender any territory, while Trump’s growing impatience threatens to upend Western unity and reshape the transatlantic approach to the ongoing conflict.
On December 8, 2025, President Zelensky convened with European and NATO leaders in London, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. According to BBC, the summit was widely seen as a show of support for Ukraine, which is under mounting pressure from the White House to accept a peace deal that could involve major territorial concessions. Zelensky, however, stood firm, declaring, "We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have any moral right either." He further emphasized that any change to Ukraine’s borders would require a public referendum, underscoring the deep sensitivities at play.
The backdrop to these meetings is a flurry of diplomatic activity. Over the weekend, U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators met in Miami, but talks failed to yield a deal acceptable to Kyiv. Zelensky indicated that his team could send a new peace proposal to the Americans as soon as December 9, aiming to avoid any territorial concessions to Russia. As reported by AFP and Interfax-Ukraine, the initial U.S.-backed 28-point peace plan was trimmed to 20 points, with Zelensky insisting that no "pro-Ukrainian" points were removed and that there was no compromise on the crucial issue of territory—particularly concerning the eastern Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
Meanwhile, President Trump made his frustrations clear during a special episode of “The Conversation” at the White House, telling Politico’s Dasha Burns that European leaders "don’t produce" and that Zelensky "has to play ball" because, in Trump’s view, "Russia has the upper hand." Trump also claimed that Russia was "fine" with the peace plan outlined by the U.S., but expressed disappointment that Zelensky "hasn't read it." These comments have sent ripples through European capitals, where leaders are wary of a U.S. pivot that could leave Ukraine exposed and undermine the continent's security architecture.
Trump’s stance has not gone unnoticed in Europe. One European official, speaking anonymously to Politico, admitted, "He says we don’t produce, and I hate to say it, but there’s been some truth to that. We are doing it now, but we have been slow to realize we are the solution to our problem." The official pointed to NATO’s increased defense spending commitments and new efforts, such as the PURL initiative, where allies are buying U.S. weapons for Ukraine. However, the European Union is still struggling to convince Belgium to support a nearly $200 billion loan for Ukraine, funded by seized Russian assets. "If we fail on this one, we’re in trouble," a second European official warned.
Despite these efforts, the gulf between Washington and its European allies appears to be widening. Trump’s new national security strategy, released earlier this month, devoted more attention to criticizing Europe’s immigration and economic policies than to addressing threats from Russia or China. Asked by Politico whether European countries would remain U.S. allies, Trump replied, "It depends," and lambasted European leaders for what he sees as weakness driven by "political correctness."
For Zelensky, the stakes could not be higher. As he toured European capitals—including a stop in Brussels to meet with NATO chief Mark Rutte and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen—he sought to rally support against what many in Kyiv and across Europe view as a U.S.-led push for a peace deal that is too favorable to Moscow. The original leaked draft of the U.S.-backed plan reportedly proposed that Ukraine cede full control of the Donbas region to Russia and share energy produced at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Zelensky has called these among the "most sensitive" issues and has adamantly refused to budge.
On the battlefield, the situation remains volatile. On December 9, Russia's chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, announced that Russian forces were advancing along Ukraine's front line and targeting Myrnohrad, near Pokrovsk—a city Russia claims to have captured. Ukraine, however, denies these claims, and live footage shared with BBC showed Ukrainian soldiers still fighting in the city. Meanwhile, the city of Sumy in north-west Ukraine suffered a blackout after a Russian drone attack damaged power infrastructure, and the death toll from a recent Russian missile strike in the Ternopil region rose to 38, including eight children, after two more bodies were discovered.
Trump’s approach, as observed by experts and diplomats, appears driven as much by a desire to normalize relations with Moscow as by a wish to reduce America’s security commitments to Europe. Fiona Hill, a former Russia expert on Trump’s national security council, told Politico, "Putin’s always thinking about what’s the angle here? How do I approach somebody? He’s got the number of President Trump. He knows he wants to make a deal, and he’s emphasizing this, and all the context is business, not really as diplomacy." This business-oriented approach is reflected in the involvement of figures like special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on the U.S. side, and Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign investment fund, on the Russian side.
Many European diplomats remain deeply skeptical of Trump’s assessment that Russia holds the upper hand. As one diplomat put it, "Our view is not that Ukraine is losing. If Russia was so powerful they would have been able to finish the war within 24 hours. If you think that Russia is winning, what does that mean—you give them everything? That’s not a sustainable peace. You’ll reward the Russians for their aggression and they will look for more—not only in Ukraine but also in Europe."
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan echoed this skepticism, stating that Russia has "not achieved its strategic objectives in Ukraine" and asserting that Ukraine could prevail militarily with stronger U.S. support. "But if the United States throws Ukraine under the bus and essentially takes Russia’s side functionally, then things, of course, are much more difficult for Ukraine, and that seems to be the direction of travel this administration is taking," Sullivan warned.
As the war grinds into its fourth winter, Ukraine’s military is running low on ammunition and morale, while Europe scrambles to step up its support amid uncertainty over America’s future role. With peace talks deadlocked and the battlefield as contested as ever, the coming weeks could prove decisive—not just for Ukraine, but for the broader balance of power in Europe and beyond.
