The New York Times ^ | Nov. 23, 2025, 10: 11 a. m. ET | Cassandra Vinograd and Andrew E. Kramer Posted on by E. Pluribus Unum Over nearly four years of wartime leadership, analysts say the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly played weak hands wisely. A U. S. peace plan may be his biggest test. It is another make-or-break moment of wartime leadership for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. Late last week, the Trump administration delivered to Mr. Zelensky a 28-point peace plan that many Ukrainians and their Western allies have called a wish list for Russia, a reward for its aggression and a betrayal of Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader was given seven days to either accept it or potentially watch the United States walk away from any remaining support. President Trump appears to be doubling down on his statement earlier this year that Ukraine doesn’t “have the cards” to keep fighting, with Mr. Zelensky’s government now under pressure from battlefield losses and a major corruption scandal. But through nearly four years of war, analysts say, Mr. Zelensky has often played weak hands wisely. While he has publicly acknowledged that the American proposal poses one of the gravest challenges ever to Ukraine, it has also inadvertently strengthened Mr. Zelensky at home, at least for the time being. The 28-point plan has shifted the focus away from a graft scandal that has reached his inner circle and threatened to paralyze his government, allowing Mr. Zelensky to reprise his most successful role: as rally-er in chief. “When Zelensky is cornered, he tends to go on the offensive,” said Viktor Shlinchak, the head of the Institute of World Policy, an analytical research group. Perhaps in his tightest corner yet, Mr. Zelensky must decide how hard to push back on a settlement proposal that could bring a pause in the fighting but make it harder for Ukraine to ensure its long-term survival. To find a way through,.(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes. com . TOPICS: Foreign Affairs KEYWORDS: 1 posted on by E. Pluribus Unum Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by.
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