Kyiv Pushes Back on ‘90%’ Peace Deal Claim Amid Planned London Talks (2025)

[Updated at 17:17]:Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has pushed back against claims that it is ‘90% ready’ to sign off on a US-backed peace plan aimed at halting Russia’s full-scale invasion.

In a statement to Sky News, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said it “does not make political decisions” and therefore could not have provided any “assessments of percentage.”

The ministry stated that Ukraine had supported the US proposal for a full ceasefire back on March 11, while Russia had not backed the plan and continued to launch daily strikes on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

“Under these conditions, it is unclear how anyone could discuss or measure in ‘percentages’ the progress of any dialogue,” the statement reads. “Our key question is how to ensure the ceasefire proposal can work and be reliably monitored. We remain in constructive dialogue with our American partners and are fully committed to ending this war.”

Ukraine is nearly ready to agree to a US peace proposal aimed at halting Russia’s full-scale invasion, with potential cease-fire talks between Washington and Moscow expected to take place in London next week.

A senior US administration official told The New York Post on Friday that Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, informed US counterparts that Kyiv is “90%” aligned with the peace framework presented in Paris by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and two special envoys.

The plan now hinges on whether Russia agrees to take part.

“This coming week in London, we want to make a determination for a full and comprehensive cease-fire,” the official said. “The intent then is to have [discussions] with the Russians and then say, ‘Ok, this is your best and final offer,’ to find out where both sides are at.”

“And once we get that, then the next steps will be determined,” the official added, warning that US President Donald Trump is prepared to walk away if Moscow refuses to engage - leaving European allies to take the lead.

While Ukraine has not yet fully signed off on the deal, Umerov and his team are reportedly working through final concerns, including how a cease-fire would define territorial control.

“I think part of the concern they’ve got is on the land … just what they call ‘de jure’ and ‘de facto,’” the official said.

“‘De facto’ means we recognize the Russians occupy this land, but we don’t say [Ukraine is] going to give it up forever. ‘De jure’ means we acknowledge that [the Russians] take in this land and we’ll never see it back again,” he added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has maintained that Ukraine will never formally recognize Russia’s control over occupied territory while indicating a willingness to freeze the war along current front lines, with Russia occupying around 20% of Ukraine, as per the report.

To draw Moscow to the table, Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff may offer incentives, including reduced sanctions and the possible unfreezing of $300 billion in Russian assets currently held in Brussels.

“The carrot, for the Russians, is a look at, ‘How do we reduce the sanctions that are currently on the Russians?’” the official said.

However, critics warn that such an approach contradicts Trump’s previously stated intention to increase pressure on the Kremlin.

Alex Plitsas, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that Russia has consistently violated every cease-fire it has agreed to, refused to negotiate reasonable terms, and continued launching ballistic missile and drone attacks that kill Ukrainian civilians.

“All of that is thumbing their nose at President Trump and looking to embarrass him on the international stage because they are refusing to come to basic terms on a cease-fire, which is what he said that he would bring,” he added.

Plitsas warned that cutting US support would signal a defeat for both Ukraine and NATO. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unchecked aggression would likely escalate, adding that Ukraine has agreed to a cease-fire while Russia has not - and that pulling aid now could lead to further Russian advances.

There are reportedly no serious discussions underway in the White House or Congress about future US military aid for Ukraine, as existing packages from the Biden era near expiration.

According to The New York Times, even as support runs out, neither the administration nor Capitol Hill is actively engaging on new funding, raising concerns among Kyiv’s allies.

European officials also say they’ve received no assurances that vital US intelligence sharing with Ukraine will continue.

A source close to the Ukrainian government told Axios they fear that Trump’s decision to walk away from the negotiations could result in a suspension of US military aid to Ukraine.

As per Axios, Trump is growing frustrated with stalled peace talks. While pressuring Ukraine to accept a cease-fire, US officials have reportedly avoided taking a harder line on Moscow.