The United States has threatened to scale back intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries to Ukraine in an effort to push Kyiv toward accepting the framework of a U.S.-brokered peace deal, two people familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
The sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said the pressure from Washington is greater than during any previous negotiations, with the U.S. seeking Ukraine’s signature on a framework agreement by next Thursday. “They want to stop the war and want Ukraine to pay the price,” one of the individuals said.
A senior U.S. military delegation met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Thursday to outline Washington’s proposed path to peace. The meeting was portrayed positively by the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and the army public affairs chief accompanying the delegation, who described the talks as successful and characterized the U.S. approach as an “aggressive timeline” for formalizing a document between the two countries.
The warning marks a significant shift in the dynamics of Western support for Kyiv, which has relied heavily on U.S. intelligence and advanced weaponry since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
While Washington has repeatedly said it backs Ukraine’s sovereignty and right to determine its own negotiating stance, the latest pressure signals growing urgency in the Biden administration to bring the conflict closer to a political resolution.
Zelenskiy’s office has not publicly commented on the demands or the proposed framework, and the details of the peace plan remain undisclosed.
