French media: Ukraine has no choice, lose dignity or lose the US?

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the tough guy who has been fighting for four years to protect his homeland from the iron grip of Russia, spoke a heart-wrenching statement to his people on this Friday, November 21, in a tone completely different from his past uncompromising stance:

"We are going through one of the most difficult moments in our history. The pressure on Ukraine has never been so great. From today, Ukraine faces a very difficult choice: either lose its dignity or lose a key partner; or accept an unacceptable 28-point plan, or face an extremely harsh winter."

Zelenskyy said that the US proposal heralds "a life without freedom, without dignity, without justice." He added, "I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will propose alternatives," "I will never betray my oath of loyalty to Ukraine."

Europe did not expect that the US President Trump would "stab Ukraine in the back" and team up with Putin to design a so-called "peace plan" for Kyiv. Now it seems that Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia for four years, is like an aggressor who has to pay compensation, and according to the US' 28-point plan, Ukraine must give up the territories occupied by the aggressor, must reduce its military forces, and must give up joining NATO. Moreover, Trump and Putin are pressing hard, with the former demanding that Zelenskyy accept the plan before November 27, while the latter is more naked, threatening that if Ukraine does not accept the plan, Russia will occupy more territory. The bandits speak as if they are more righteous than the just.

The French newspaper Le Monde's editorial on the 21st was titled "Ukraine: The Danger Brought by the Trump-Putin Axis", and the same day's Figaro newspaper reported the title "Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin Join Forces to Kill Ukraine". Two newspapers, one left-center and one right-wing, used the terms "axis" and "join forces" to describe Trump and Putin, which is not pleasant, especially for the US president, who may feel honored by the dictator Putin. Even 11 months ago, no one could have imagined that the US president, the leader of the free world, would ignore the interests of European allies and get close to Russia after returning to the White House. In February, his defense minister Hegseth visited Europe and almost repeated Putin's ideas, saying that it was unrealistic for Ukraine to abandon the occupied territories, criticizing Europe for fueling the war. Later came the incident of Zelenskyy being humiliated at the White House in February.

However, Putin's insatiable greed made Trump disappointed. Europe still hopes for US support for Ukraine, even though Trump stated that he would no longer provide aid to Kyiv freely. Europe can understand this, as long as it can ultimately end the war. The only demand of Europe is that the peace talks between Ukraine and others cannot exclude Ukraine or Europe. However, on November 19, 2025, American media revealed that Trump's special envoy had secretly negotiated with Russia, which is the 28-point agreement disclosed starting on the 20th. The core part of this agreement basically repeats Moscow's usual demands:

Ukraine recognizes Crimea, which Russia has annexed, as belonging to Russia, as well as other Russian-occupied territories including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye, which belong to Russia, covering about 20% of Ukraine's territory. Ukraine will reduce its current army by half and give up its long-range weapons. Allied countries will stop providing weapons to Ukraine, and Ukraine cannot join NATO.

Figaro called this plan "a Ukrainian surrender plan formulated by the US." Local public opinion believes that this plan caused a shock in Kyiv, and the capitals of major European countries spent a long sleepless night. However, this plan has one advantage, which is very clear. It confirms a basic point. Compared to the victim Zelenskyy, Trump prefers the aggressor Putin.

Figaro commented, "These two quite different presidents have many common points. They both believe only in relations between strong countries. Trump despises weak countries, including Ukraine. He likes big powers, such as Russia. As for Putin, he still adheres to the logic of the old world order where a few blocs ruled the world. According to this logic, he only negotiates with Washington, just like the Soviet era he misses. Both leaders show extreme contempt for Europe. For Trump, Europe has betrayed its values, exploited America, but has not built itself into a strong power. For Putin, the EU is a collapsing dependent group."

At this moment, European countries need to be more closely united to face the challenges together. But this plan is proposed in the name of the United States, and Ukraine's allies are cautious, not openly rejecting it. However, the president of the European Commission, von der Leyen, emphasized: "There can be no decision without Ukraine's participation." The EU's foreign affairs chief, Kallas, earlier accused Russia of manipulating this new US proposal.

German Chancellor Merkel, French President Macron, and British Prime Minister Starmer issued a press release after meeting with the Ukrainian president, welcoming "the US efforts," but assuring Zelenskyy that "they will provide full and unwavering support on the path to a lasting and just peace."

British Prime Minister Starmer said, "We all hope for a just and lasting peace. This is also the wish of the US president, and it is also the wish of all of us. However, Ukraine will fully decide its own future, which is a fundamental principle."

Source: rfi

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849444596502536/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.