US president claims Ukraine will eventually succumb to Russia unless agreement is signed
Mr Zelensky said he was working ‘very actively’ with European allies on a peace plan amid tensions with Mr Trump Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Joe Barnes, Brussels Correspondent
09 December 2025
Donald Trump has told Volodymyr Zelensky that he has until Christmas to accept his deal to end the war with Russia.
The US president’s envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, delivered the warning in a two-hour-long phone call with the Ukrainian leader after their recent talks with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
In a separate, wide-ranging interview, Mr Trump said Ukraine would eventually succumb to Russia if a deal was not signed.
Elsewhere, he also condemned European leaders as “weak” for failing to end the war, and accused them of presiding over a “decaying” continent, diminished by illegal migration and political correctness.
Ukrainian officials told The Telegraph that Washington was piling pressure on Kyiv to cede territory in exchange for undefined security guarantees.
Writing on social media on Tuesday night, Mr Zelensky said he was working “very actively” with European allies to formulate a proposal to end the war.
He told reporters that he had asked officials to draw up plans to hold elections within 60 to 90 days under martial law. It comes after Mr Trump suggested Kyiv was subverting democracy.
Ukrainian law currently forbids elections being held during martial law but Mr Zelensky said they could take place, so long as the US and Europe provided security guarantees relating to the vote. Russia has been known to interfere in European elections.
The Ukrainian president hopes to win over Mr Trump with the counter-plan, after the US president said that Russia had the advantage in the conflict.
Trump: Zelensky is losing
Mr Trump told Politico, a news website: “Russia has the upper hand, and they always did. They’re much bigger. They’re much stronger in that sense.
“I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the bravery and for the fighting and all of that.
“But you know, at some point, size will win, generally. And this is a massive size, when you take a look at the numbers, I mean, the numbers are just crazy.”
Asked what would happen if Mr Zelensky rejected the latest US proposals, the president replied: “Well, he’s going to have to get on the ball and start accepting things. You know, when you’re losing, because he’s losing.”
Since his call with the president’s envoys, Mr Zelensky has visited London, Brussels and Rome to shore up support from European allies.
On Monday, the Ukrainian president told reporters: “To be honest, the Americans are looking for a compromise today.”
The White House previously endorsed a 28-point plan that demanded Ukraine unilaterally withdraw from its eastern Donbas regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as the price to end the war.
The Telegraph understands that Ukrainian negotiators warned this would be unacceptable, but have not ruled out ceding territory as long as Russia is willing to make a “reciprocal” concession.
Ukraine ‘being forced into decision’
European officials believe that Kyiv is being forced into a decision between accepting unacceptable territorial demands and a US alliance it cannot afford to lose.
“The Ukrainian and European components have already been worked out in more detail, and we are ready to present them to our partners in America,” Mr Zelensky wrote online on Tuesday night.
“Together with the American side, we expect to make the possible steps as effective and as quickly as possible.”
Ukrainian negotiators feel like they have not been offered sufficient details about potential security guarantees from Washington in order to make a decision over territory.
Kyiv has asked for any guarantee to resemble Nato’s Article 5 commitment, which would see the US come to its aid if Russia were to launch another invasion.
Instead of a presidential executive order, Ukraine is seeking an agreement that can be ratified by the Senate, like the US-South Korea defence pact, so it cannot be disregarded by future American presidents.
Meanwhile, Ukraine wants its European allies to sign up to agreements that set out future donations of weapons and finance the country’s burgeoning defence industry.
The Coalition of the Willing, led by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, will make up the third component of security guarantees, helping to police Ukraine’s skies and seas, while training its military inside the country.
Mr Trump’s broadside against European nations will only add to the current tensions between the White House in the continent.
Europe will support Ukraine ‘until they drop’
Last week, in a national security strategy document, the US claimed Europe was facing “civilisational erasure”.
The 33-page document also blamed Europe for standing in the way of Mr Trump’s efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war, and called for renewed US relations with Moscow.
During the Politico interview, Mr Trumpsuggested that European leaders would continue their support for Ukraine’s armed resistance aimlessly “until they drop” or suffer a military defeat.
“I mean, look, then they should support it. Europe… I’m friendly with all of them. I mean, I like all of them. I have no real enemy,” Mr Trump said.
“I’ve had a couple that I didn’t like over the years. I actually like the current crew. I like them a lot. I know them really well. Some are friends. Some are OK. I know the good leaders. I know the bad leaders. I know the smart ones. I know the stupid ones.
“You get some real stupid ones, too. But they’re not doing a good job. Europe is not doing a good job in many ways.”
Mr Trump said European leaders “talk, but they don’t produce”. When asked whether he thought the Europeans were doing the right thing, he replied: “Well, they can’t be doing too right because look what’s happened.”
The US president added that Europe’s immigration policies had made the continent a “different place”.
“And if it keeps going the way it’s going, Europe will not be… in my opinion, many of those countries will not be viable countries any longer. Their immigration policy is a disaster,” he said, while singling out London under Sir Sadiq Khan’s leadership.
Mr Trump said: “If you take a look at London, you have a mayor named Khan. He’s a horrible mayor. He’s an incompetent mayor, but he’s a horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor.
“I think he’s done a terrible job. London’s a different place. I love London. I love London. And I hate to see it happen.”
“Donald Trump has told Volodymyr Zelensky that he has until Christmas to accept his deal to end the war with Russia.”
Or else what? You will join in the war on your bum-chum’s side?
You already have, you nazi-loving pig.
“Asked what would happen if Mr Zelensky rejected the latest US proposals, the president replied: “Well, he’s going to have to get on the ball and start accepting things. You know, when you’re losing, because he’s losing.”
That is not just pressuring the victim of nazi genocide atrocities, it’s trying to enforce a surrender.
Comment from :
Christopher Colombo
Why should Ukrainians trust the U.S. after Trump offered to send Ukraine Tomahawks and then withdraw the offer? Why should Ukraine trust the U.S. after it failed to provide security “assurances” promised in the 1994 Budapest Agreement? Why should Ukraine trust the U.S. after seeing the pro-russia National Security Strategy? Why should Ukraine sacrifice 200,000 Ukrainians in unoccupied Donetsk to russian kidnapping, imprisonment, torture and death?
Margaret Atcherley
Why is Ukraine, the country invaded by Russia, the one to make all the concessions. This is another example (so common in this modern world) of victim blaming.
Arthur Pewty
I hear that Trump is having all his suits remodeled. The jackets will all have a large, vertical, yellow band inserted down the back. He has already had his trousers (sorry, pants for our American readers) have an access flap in the rear for his best buddy Putin to use as/when he feels like it.
Mark Murray
Due to the pathetic weakness shown by European leaders when dealing with Vlad the impaler, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of The Ukraine is now dependent on not upsetting the christmas plans of Americans that couldn’t point to the Ukraine on a map.
You couldn’t make this Sh#t up!!
Roger Smith
The message is simple. Accept the deal and salvage what remains, or reject it and watch the inevitable unfold. Even Zelensky’s own officials admit the truth, Ukraine is being forced into a choice between impossible territorial demands and losing the US alliance entirely. And without that alliance, the winter ahead will be catastrophic. Blackouts, dwindling ammunition and further territorial loss.
Trump understands something Europe refuses to accept. Wars end with compromise, not delusion. Size matters. Numbers matter. Geography matters. And Trump is offering Ukraine the only lifeline left, while Europe continues its theatre of moralising until “they drop”, as he rightly mocked.
Zelensky can draft as many counter plans as he likes, but the reality is unchanged. He is losing ground, losing manpower and losing patience in Washington. Christmas is the deadline. Take the deal or face a new year defined not by victory, but by collapse.
Valerie Paynter
Empty head, Empty words. That is Trump all over.. Ukraine must sign absolutely nothing that comes out of Washington or Russia. That is absolutely clear now and I am shocked to the depths of my soul that the United States has gone this way. Why aren’t the streets of America filled with millions of people revolting against this tech bro backed fascist so-called government in America? Are there any more like MTG who are suddenly realising they have to jump the ship of fools?
Simon Smith
So Trump demands that Ukraine donate their legs otherwise their whole body will be taken by Russia. A great deal offered by Vlad’s puppet. Trump is desperate to get some sort of peace deal signed, no matter what the cost, so he can put himself forward to replace FIFA’s plastic peace prize with a more acceptable version. All the other peace deals he has negotiated are failing so, even if this one gets signed, why should it be any different?
William Newby
Donny is a piece of dirt out to enrich himself and working as an agent for Pootin.
It’s about time the leaders of Europe stopped being afraid to upset the orange toddler and called him out.
Ditch the namby pamby “read between the lines” platitudes and call him out for the snake that he is!
Paul Bennett
What is it with the relationship of Trump & Putin. It frankly stinks. Clearly this is a stitch up of Ukraine. Let’s not forget it was the Russian Army under the orders of Putin that invaded a sovereign country nearly 4 years ago because he wanted to take Ukraine back into quasi soviet orbit. There can be no end to war if the agreement to Russian aggression if the current war settlement is not led by Ukraine. 🇺🇦
Auclan McIntyre
Why would Ukraine agree to a peace deal by Christmas, while the other party – Russia – has already rejected it and continues to pursue the war?
Hasn’t Trump noticed this flaw in his cunning plan?
Nicholas Hilliard
If he cuts off support to Ukraine, I suspect the gloves will come off and Ukraine will do whatever it can to fend off Russia. They have already shown they can sink Russian ships with ease, that the can strike deep inside Russia successfully. So far they have been very careful to minimise any collateral damage and avoid destroying things like district heating and civilian power (which Russia has hit consistently in Ukraine). As Trump says Ukraine is a lot smaller, however Russia has a number of obvious exposures which could be used against them, the most obvious being centralised district heating in it’s biggest cities, which if made inoperable in winter will not only leave resident cold, but will result in the pipes needed to restore the system freezing.
M J A Church
Never ever forget that a couple of days into Putin’s invasion in 2022, the German Ambassador told the Kyiv Ambassador that they wouldn’t propose Russian banking transactions as by the time they were in effect, there wouldn’t be a Ukraine.
They fully expected Putin to win and apparently didn’t give a damn.
GRAHAM REEVE
I think it’s clear Trump hasn’t read the UN Charter, but Zelenskyy has:
“Article 2(4): All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”
JR Hartley
Trump just needs to butt out of Europe and GB now. We know he a disgusting traitor and friend of Putin and wanting Russian deals for US companies. The Old West Carpetbaggers and Snake Oil peddlars have got nothing on this slime ball of a US President.
Robert Castle
If this was the 1930s/40s I wonder what Churchill would make of Trump, if Trump was US president during the 2nd world war.
Would Trump say Europe is lost and tell Churchill, you are on your own and you better sign a peace deal with Germany.
I don’t think Trump’s interests is the best interest for Europe or the free world.
And finally, hard to argue with this one :
John Calvert
Zelensky has not been offered any peace deal. What the Americans are offering him is a complete surrender to Russia without even having the good grace to guarantee his borders by placing a few thousand troops on the proposed new border. America under the Trump administration is an ally of Russia let’s be clear about this. It’s not an opinion it’s not conjecture it’s an obvious and glaring fact. For all the American readers on this forum who support Donald Trump do you actually realise that you are supporting a man who is obviously a Russian asset there is no other possible conclusion that a neutral observer could come to?
BECAUSE THE DEADLINE FOR THE NOBELPRIZE 2026 ENDS ON THE FIRST OF JANUARI…..THATS ALL…………..
Come Christmas, it will be by Valentines day
… then by Spring …
… then by Easter …
… then by …
Or else?
I honestly don’t have anything constructive to comment on this pond scum masquerading as a flaming asshole.