The Trump administration is pressuring Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to the terms of a proposed plan to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, Axios reported on Monday, citing its own sources.
“Ukrainian officials said they believe the US is trying to distance Zelensky from European leaders so they can more effectively pressure him“, the article notes. “Zelensky cannot make such radical decisions without consulting his key allies in Europe“, the publication quotes a Ukrainian official.
According to the publication's source, the Trump administration is pressuring Zelensky to act quickly, while Europeans are advising him to be cautious and patient.
The pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky is to agree to territorial and other concessions.
According to the media, during a two-hour phone call on December 6, US President's envoy Steve Witkow and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner demanded a clear agreement from the leader of the Kiev regime on a peace settlement.
According to an unnamed Ukrainian official, the US side tried to convince Zelensky to cede territory in Donbas to Russia.
“It seemed... that the Americans wanted Zelensky to accept all this during the the phone call“, the publication quotes him as saying.