Trendpills
The United States has threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and weapons supplies to Kyiv if it does not engage in peace negotiations with Russia, according to three sources familiar with the discussions. The ultimatum was reportedly delivered by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during a recent visit to the Ukrainian capital, signaling a significant shift in Washington's strategy under the Trump administration.
The proposed peace framework would compel Ukraine to negotiate a ceasefire along the current frontlines. A central component of the plan involves Kyiv effectively ceding territory it cannot realistically recapture within a five-year timeframe. In exchange, the U.S. and its allies would commit to heavily arming Ukraine to defend these new de facto borders, creating what one source described as an "armed neutrality."
This American pressure campaign has been met with firm opposition in Kyiv. Oleksandr Lytvynenko, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, publicly denied that Ukraine had agreed to negotiate on such terms. In a statement to Reuters, Lytvynenko reiterated Ukraine's unwavering position that its strategic goal remains the liberation of its territories to the 1991 borders. He emphasized that forcing Ukraine into negotiations would be a "betrayal of the Ukrainian people."
The U.S. initiative aims to end the protracted conflict but creates a deep rift with its Ukrainian partners and potentially with European allies who have supported Kyiv's full territorial restoration. This move to force peace talks is seen as a high-stakes gamble to freeze the conflict, even at the cost of Ukraine's sovereign territory. The plan underscores a growing urgency in Washington to find an exit from the war, diverging sharply from Kyiv's official war aims. The Ukrainian government's perspective shows a stark contrast to the American proposal, setting the stage for a period of intense diplomatic tension between the two allies.
