Furious Trump says Ukraine has shown ‘zero gratitude’ over his ‘surrender’ peace plan as US denies Russia authored controversial deal

A furious Donald Trump today accused Ukraine of showing ‘zero gratitude’ for his peace plan to end the war with Russia.

The US President described the conflict as ‘a loss for everyone’ and said he had ‘inherited a war that should never have happened’.

Trump’s 28-point plan to end Moscow’s almost four-year occupation has been heavily criticized by many senators as a ‘Russian wish list’ that includes demands for Ukraine to cede territory and drastically reduce its armed forces.

This led to Washington being forced to deny allegations that Russia had prepared the controversial agreement; Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously insisted that the Ukraine plan was ‘written by the United States’.

Trump wrote in capital letters on the Truth Social platform: ‘I inherited a war that should never have happened, a war in which everyone would lose, especially the millions of people who died needlessly.

‘The Ukrainian “leadership” has shown no gratitude for our efforts, and Europe continues to buy oil from Russia.’

His statement came as senior officials from the United States, Ukraine and national security advisers from France, Britain and Germany met in Geneva to discuss the draft plan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his delegation was ‘focused on finding workable solutions’.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his delegation was ‘focused on finding workable solutions’

Just minutes after Trump issued his tirade, senior Kiev security official Rustem Umerov declared that Ukraine ‘appreciates our American partners.’

The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council said of X: ‘Our current proposals, although not yet final, include many of Ukraine’s priorities. We thank our American partners for working closely with us to understand our concerns about reaching this critical point, and we look forward to making further progress today.’

Ursula von der Leyen has previously warned that Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed by force.

The President of the European Commission has said that any deal with Vladimir Putin’s Russia should not ‘sow the seeds of a future conflict’.

‘Any credible and sustainable peace plan must first and foremost stop the killings and end the war, but must not sow the seeds of a future conflict,’ Ms von der Leyen said.

‘We agreed on the main elements necessary for a just and lasting peace and Ukraine’s sovereignty. Let me underline three of these.

‘First, boundaries cannot be changed by force.

‘Second, as a sovereign nation, Ukraine’s armed forces cannot be subject to limitations that would leave the country vulnerable to future attacks and thus undermine the security of Europe.

Sir Keir Starmer is photographed attending the G20 Leaders Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22

Sir Keir Starmer backed both Ukraine and Donald Trump after talks with Volodymyr Zelensky about a US-backed peace plan

‘Thirdly, the central position of the European Union in ensuring peace in Ukraine must be fully reflected. Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereignty to choose its own destiny. ‘They chose a European destiny.’

The Ukrainian delegation held its first meeting today with Britain’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell and his French and German counterparts.

US, Ukrainian and European counterparts meet in Geneva; special envoy Steve Witkoff, army secretary Dan Driscoll and US secretary of state Marco Rubio are expected to represent Washington.

Mr Zelensky shared on X: ‘The Ukrainian and American teams, as well as the teams of our European partners, are in close contact and I hope for a result.

‘The bloodshed must be stopped and we must ensure that the war is never reignited.’

Transport Minister Heidi Alexander told Sunday Morning’s Trevor Phillips that the deal “requires some additional work.”

‘We clearly stated that the peace plan he proposed has the necessary elements for a just and lasting peace,’ he said.

Ms Alexander said Ukraine’s allies must ‘find a way to secure a ceasefire and create space for meaningful negotiations’.

Mr Rubio has previously insisted that the controversial peace plan for Ukraine was ‘written by the US’.

He doubled down on US ownership of the plan and disputed claims by some senators that it was a ‘Russian wish list’.

‘This is based on input from the Russian side. But this is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine,” Rubio said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks with Sir Keir at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 22 November

Pictured from left to right: European Council President Antonio Costa, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb

As Western leaders scrambled to coordinate a response during frantic G20 summit diplomacy in South Africa, Trump declared that the proposal was “by far” not the “final proposal.”

The plan, drawn up by the Trump administration and the Kremlin, alarmed European governments after it emerged that Ukraine had been forced to agree to terms that reflected Moscow’s long-standing demands.

In a joint statement on Saturday, European and other Western leaders cautiously acknowledged that the document could provide a possible basis for ending the war, but stressed it would require ‘additional work’.

Washington has vehemently denied accusations that it reflects Russian objectives.

Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy released a video speech emphasizing that Ukrainian negotiators ‘know exactly how to protect Ukraine’s national interests and what is needed to prevent Russia from carrying out another invasion.’

‘True peace is always based on security and justice,’ he said.

The 28-point plan closely reflects positions the Kremlin has repeatedly put forward throughout nearly four years of full-scale war, including demands that Ukraine cede territory and drastically reduce its armed forces.

Trump insisted that Kiev respond by Thursday but hinted that an extension might be possible.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, he rejected suggestions that the offer was final.

He said: ‘We want to achieve peace, this should have happened a long time ago. The war between Russia and Ukraine should never have happened. If I were president this would never happen. We are trying to end this. We have to put an end to this, one way or another.’

Leaders across Europe are trying to strike a careful balance; While they praise Trump’s efforts to end the war, they acknowledge that key parts of the plan are unacceptable to Kiev.

“There are many things that cannot be an American proposal alone and require wider consultation,” Emmanuel Macron warned on the sidelines of the G20, saying any deal must ensure peace for Ukrainians and “security for all Europeans”.

This comes as Moscow residents face power outages and heating outages for the first time today following the strike in Ukraine.

As temperatures dip below freezing, a dramatic swarm of drones detonates the mostly gas-fired Lenin Shatura thermal power plant

Pro-Kremlin media outlet Readovka and others admitted that power and heating outages were felt by residents

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the risks to Europe, warning that Kiev’s defeat would have wider consequences.

‘If Ukraine loses this war and possibly collapses, this will have an impact on European politics as a whole and the entire European continent. “That’s why we attach so much importance to this issue,” he said.

‘There is an opportunity now to end this war, but we are still a long way from a good outcome for everyone.’

Speaking in Johannesburg, Keir Starmer expressed concern, in particular, about the restrictions placed on Ukraine’s armed forces.

‘We are worried’ [caps on military]because it is essential for Ukraine to be able to defend itself in case of a ceasefire.’

He said the plan ‘requires additional work’ and added: ‘That’s why the agreement was made in Geneva tomorrow. [Sunday]you’ll have senior US personnel, you’ll have European NSAs [national security advisers]Including the UK NSA and of course the Ukrainians who were there to do further work on the draft.’

Downing Street said Starmer had spoken directly to Trump about the issue and was expected to meet him again on Sunday.

This comes as Moscow residents face power outages and heating outages for the first time today following the strike in Ukraine.

As temperatures dropped below freezing, a dramatic swarm of drones detonated the mostly gas-fired Lenin Shatura thermal power plant.

‘There was a fire at the facility,’ regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said, referring to the Shatura strike.

He admitted that emergency workers were scrambling to bring in ‘spare’ electricity and heating supplies after damage to the power plant in eastern Moscow.

Pro-Kremlin media outlet Readovka and others admitted that power and heating outages were felt by residents; This is a rare event near the Russian capital, but a common one for Ukrainians after constant attacks by Putin’s forces.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin admitted that the capital was attacked by Ukrainian drones and at least three were shot down.