The Guardian reported on November 21 that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy delivered a televised speech outside the presidential palace in response to the U.S. peace proposal, describing the current situation as one of the most difficult moments in Ukraine's history.

This speech clearly carried an emotional tone, with heavy language and no clear position, but it revolved around expressions such as pressure, impossible choices, and even metal can break. It neither directly rejected the U.S.-proposed 28-point peace framework nor openly accepted it, but instead tried to create a vague space for maneuvering amidst chaos and uncertainty.

U.S. President Trump has explicitly demanded Ukraine to respond before Thanksgiving, considering this plan as the only path to end the war.

For Zelenskyy, this ultimatum made it impossible for him to use symbolic language to inspire the public as he did before, because the situation had pushed him to the wall.

All the statements he repeatedly emphasized, such as the immense pressure, the possibility of Ukraine facing the hardest winter, and the people's strong desire for the end of the war, seem more like paving the way for a possible compromise.

Zelenskyy

In general, Zelenskyy did not strongly reject the U.S. proposal as some people imagined, nor did he consider it as surrender. The so-called response was nothing more than saying "we will calmly and constructively cooperate with the U.S.", "we will propose alternative solutions", and "we cannot let anyone accuse Ukraine of sabotaging the peace process."

These phrases essentially avoided direct confrontation with Washington while leaving some room for eventual surrender.

The real intention was to dress up the surrender, hoping to make it more dignified, so that the Ukrainians would see that he had fought for it, rather than fully accepting the U.S. proposal.

However, the so-called struggle was just a gesture. He did not explicitly reject it, which already explained the situation. What needs to be done next is how to proceed with the process and get the Ukrainians to accept this reality.

Therefore, he must first shape a public opinion atmosphere, making the people accept the narrative of immense pressure and being cornered, and then accept other compromise options.

Zelenskyy and U.S. officials

From the perspective of domestic public opinion in Ukraine, there is strong opposition to the U.S. proposal, which is understandable, as it is their country.

Moreover, Zelenskyy had been acting too much before, always insisting on fighting Russia to the end, but now wanting to shift, the Ukrainians are unwilling.

Nevertheless, Zelenskyy does not care. After delivering the televised speech, he directly called Vice President Vance, a fact that reveals the true direction more than any public statement.

After the call, the U.S. and Ukraine arranged for their national security advisors to continue the text negotiations, indicating that Ukraine did not reject it, but actually accepted the framework of the proposal.

If Ukraine truly intended to reject it, this step would not have happened.

Zelenskyy and Vance

Overall, the content of Zelenskyy's televised speech and his continuous communication with the U.S. vice president point to the same fact: Ukraine is approaching the end of the war, but the initiative is not in Kyiv's hands.

This outcome was anticipated long ago. Ukraine is a dish on the table, not someone who chooses the menu. The only path for a comeback is to defeat Russia on the battlefield, which is obviously impossible.

Certainly, none of this matters to Zelenskyy anymore. Now, what is important is how to protect himself.

So his choice is easy to understand. It is Ukraine that surrenders, not himself. Agreeing with the U.S. is agreeing, as long as he has a way out, whether Ukraine has a way out is the matter for the next president. As long as he is not held accountable later, it's a perfect landing.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7575379852812010003/

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