President Donald Trump has undermined Ukrainian hopes for a peace summit aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict with Russia. In a surprising move, he announced via a post on Truth Social that he would send Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to meet with Ukrainian officials and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow to discuss a potential peace agreement. This announcement came while Andriy Yermak, chief advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, was in an interview discussing a recent 19-point proposal crafted between Washington and Kyiv officials.
Yermak expressed optimism that the proposal could serve as a joint peace plan, ideally culminating in a signature event at Mar-a-Lago over the Thanksgiving holiday. He had envisioned a meeting between Trump and Zelensky that would signal a commitment to ending the nearly three-year war. However, Trump’s post abruptly shifted the trajectory of these discussions, effectively pushing back the timeline for peace.
In his post, Trump stated, “I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.” He further emphasized the need for peace to be achieved “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” The announcement visibly affected Yermak, who requested to reconvene in 24 hours to reassess the evolving situation.
Yermak highlighted the urgency of the conflict, noting that each day brings new risks, including missile strikes and civilian casualties. “Every day it’s a risk to lose best people, children. We have no time,” he remarked. The 19-point proposal, discussed just days earlier, remains a work in progress, with unresolved “sensitive points” that require direct negotiation between Trump and Zelensky.
As discussions of the proposal continue, the challenge remains that Russia has not committed to the plan. Yermak acknowledged this obstacle but emphasized that the United States holds significant leverage over Moscow. “I am sure that the United States of America has a lot of possibilities to press Russia,” he stated, pointing to various sanctions and the broader influence of Washington on international matters.
Yermak expressed his belief in Trump’s ability to facilitate a resolution, stating, “I’m still sure that one leader in the world who can end this war … it’s President Trump.” As the situation develops, both Kyiv and Washington remain engaged in efforts to achieve a sustainable peace agreement.
The coming days are critical as Yermak awaits insights from Driscoll and Witkoff on their approach to the negotiations. The hope is that renewed momentum can be generated towards establishing a viable path for peace in a region that has experienced profound suffering.
