Trump is moving as fast as he can. But Congress moves at a snail’s pace.
Now a huge uproar in Congress is stalling a key Trump agenda item.
Trump’s Christmas Deadline for Ukraine Peace Plan Draws Divided Lawmaker Responses
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a tight deadline—reportedly just days, with a target of Christmas—for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to respond to a U.S.-brokered 20-point peace proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war with Russia, according to the Financial Times. The plan, refined from an initial 28-point draft, seeks to address months of stalemate but has sparked varied reactions on Capitol Hill, with some praising the urgency and others decrying it as undue pressure on Kyiv.
The proposal includes contentious elements like potential territorial concessions, which Zelenskyy has firmly rejected, alongside security guarantees reminiscent of NATO protections. U.S. envoys, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, conveyed the timeline during a recent two-hour call with Zelenskyy, following talks in Moscow. The White House has not publicly confirmed the details but emphasized a desire for swift resolution.
Democratic Concerns Over Pressure and Sovereignty
Several Democratic lawmakers expressed skepticism about the accelerated timeline, viewing it as a tactic that unfairly burdens Ukraine amid its defense against Russian aggression.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) argued against imposing deadlines in matters of national survival: “I don’t think people should be given a deadline when it comes to defending their freedom and sovereignty,” he said Wednesday.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member, echoed those sentiments while questioning the timeline’s rigidity, drawing on Trump’s past fluctuating approach to the conflict: “Over and over and over and over, President Trump’s attitude towards Russia and Ukraine has changed off again, on again, off again over the last 11 months.”
“It is long past time for President Trump to acknowledge that Russia is the aggressor, that Ukraine is a democracy, and that our vital national interest rests with defending Ukraine. He should not be giving timeline ultimatums,” Coons added.
Zelenskyy’s Stance and Republican Pragmatism
Zelenskyy, in a Wednesday X post, reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to collaborative efforts without territorial giveaways: “We continue to communicate with all our partners on a daily basis, virtually 24/7, to identify doable and realistic steps to bring the war to an end. Everything must be reliable and dignified for Ukraine.”
“We are finalizing work on the 20 points of a fundamental document that could define the parameters for ending the war, and we expect to deliver this document to the United States in the near future following our joint work with President Trump’s team and partners in Europe,” he stated.
On the Republican side, some saw value in the deadline for compelling negotiations. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a consistent advocate for U.S. aid to Ukraine, supported the approach with caveats: “I don’t criticize the timelines, because I think that forces people to the table and to try to work it out.”
“But I do think that we have to make sure that we’re clear on who the aggressor is and who the victim is and proceed accordingly,” Fitzpatrick noted.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, took a more neutral but realistic view, highlighting the war’s toll on Ukraine’s resources: “I’m not trying to take any sides on this, other than the longer this goes on, the more devastating it is to Ukraine post-war.”
“If you look at this, like you look at a chessboard where you have 20 pawns and I have 10, and we’re trading them one for one. Time is not on the side of the one that has 10,” Issa explained. “Time is [Zelenskyy’s] enemy, because every day that goes by that we’re at a standstill, he doesn’t become militarily weaker, but from a human asset [view], he’s becoming weaker. And you know, this is not a sustainable war because he can’t produce another generation of fighters to replace the ones that are being k*lled or maimed every day.”
Uncertain Path Forward
It remains unclear what steps the Trump administration might take if the deadline passes without agreement, as the White House did not respond to comment requests. Recent diplomacy, including Zelenskyy’s meetings with European leaders and a planned U.S. response review, suggests ongoing talks, though analysts note the Christmas goal appears increasingly challenging amid unresolved disputes over territory and security. Polls indicate strong Ukrainian opposition to concessions, complicating the path to a deal.
