Ben Shultz (@benmshultz.com)

Zelensky says U.S. has yet to formally respond to Ukraine's peace plan and warns it won't please everyone Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has not yet received an official response from the United States to Kyiv’s latest peace plan proposals, though key signals have been relayed through his negotiating team. Answering reporters’ questions, Zelensky noted that dialogue with Washington is ongoing and should intensify soon, UNN reported, but there has been no formal reaction from the US so far. “No, I have not yet received a reaction from the United States of America. I heard several messages through my negotiating team. But I am receiving all the signals and will be ready for a dialogue that begins today. Today we have a Ukraine–US day in Berlin. I will, of course, meet separately with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and will likely meet some other European leaders in the evening,” the president said. Zelensky also addressed a statement by his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, who claimed he was the only one dissatisfied with the US-proposed peace plan. The Ukrainian leader stressed that any final peace plan cannot satisfy all sides and “won’t be one that everyone likes.” “Of course, there are many compromises in one format or another of the plan. We sent the latest comments and changes to the US. The most important thing is that the plan is fair first and foremost to Ukraine, because Russia started the war,” Zelensky said. He added that what matters is not only the document’s content but whether it works in practice. “It’s important that the plan is not just a piece of paper but a real step toward ending the war. And even more important is that after it’s signed, Russia has no opportunity to start a new, third aggression against the Ukrainian people,” he said. Zelensky separately addressed Donbas and potential ceasefire parameters. He said a fair option today could be a ceasefire along the line of contact, but Russia opposes the idea and demands Ukrainian forces leave the region. Washington, meanwhile, has floated an alternative. “The US proposed a compromise: Ukrainian forces would leave these territories and Russian forces would not enter them, calling it a ‘free Ukrainian zone.’ Ukraine does not accept this idea without a reciprocal withdrawal of troops. There is no answer on this yet,” he emphasized. As The New York Times has reported, the Ukrainian peace plan sent to Washington this week runs counter to President Donald Trump’s proposal that Ukraine cede all of Donbas, including areas not yet occupied by Russia. https://www.uawire.org/zelensky-says-u-s-has-yet-to-formally-respond-to-ukraine-s-peace-plan-and-warns-it-won-t-please-everyone