Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country has to confront the possibility of losing its dignity, or risking the loss of a key partner, after being given a week by the US to accept the framework of an American-brokered peace deal with Russia.
Washington warned on Friday that military and intelligence support could be curtailed if Kyiv resisted, news outlets reported.
Tension is growing in Kyiv after the US proposed in a draft that Ukraine cede territory to Moscow and limit the size of its military.
“This is one of the most difficult moments in our history,” Mr Zelenskyy said in a video address to the nation. “Currently, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”
He said Ukraine would “work calmly with America and all partners”, as he pledged to work constructively.
Reuters, quoting sources, said US President Donald Trump's administration wants Ukraine to sign on to the basic terms by next Thursday.
“They want to stop the war and want Ukraine to pay the price,” one of the sources told Reuters.
The Washington Post quoted officials familiar with the matter as saying that the US is sending “signals” that everything could be off the table if Kyiv does not quickly sign a proposal.
Earlier on Friday Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on social media that he had discussed the plan in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He said previously that he was expecting to speak with Mr Trump and his team in the coming days.
“We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace,” he wrote on X. “We are co-ordinating closely to make sure that the principled stances are taken into account. We co-ordinated the next steps and agreed that our teams will work together at the corresponding levels.”
Mr Starmer said he and the German and French leaders emphasised during the call that “Ukraine must determine its future under its sovereignty”.
Trump's 28-point Ukraine plan
Under the peace plan, Ukraine would reportedly be required to give up the eastern Donbas region, which comprises the Luhansk and Donetsk areas. Kyiv would also need to limit its army to 600,000 personnel.
The proposal would also prevent the future expansion of Nato. That would mark a significant victory for Moscow, which views the alliance as a potential threat.
European fighter jets would be based in Poland to help protect Ukrainian territory. But no Nato troops would be stationed in Ukraine and Kyiv would not be permitted to join the military alliance, under the plan.
In addition, $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would be used to rebuild Ukraine. There would also be a path to reintegrate Russia into the global economy, including the lifting of sanctions. The country would also return to what was formerly known as the Group of Eight (G8), which includes some of the world's largest economies.
Although Mr Zelenskyy indicated that he was prepared to give the US peace plan careful consideration, Ukraine said firmly at the UN that there were lines it would not cross.
“Our red lines are clear and unwavering,” Ukraine's deputy ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn told the UN Security Council on Thursday. “Our land is not for sale. Ukraine will never accept any limits on its right to self-defence or on the size and capabilities of our armed forces.”
The latest attempt by the US administration to revive negotiations is modelled on the Gaza ceasefire. The Ukraine war plan outlines known Kremlin demands for concessions that Kyiv has repeatedly said are unacceptable and that have so far hindered all efforts to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
The Institute for the Study of War said that “all available reporting” on the peace plan indicated that the plan amounts to Ukraine’s “full capitulation to Russia’s original war demands”.
“There are no provisions in the reported peace plan in which Russia makes any concessions,” the think tank said in a post on social media.
Mr Trump’s national security team has engaged with Russian and Ukrainian officials and the US President supports the plan, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been “quietly” working on the plan with Russia and Ukraine for around a month, Ms Leavitt added.
News of the draft proposal comes after European military leaders were thrown into a panic over the secret peace plan. A leading British military figure told The National that the proposal’s impact on European security “would be a disaster”.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
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BELGIUM%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EGoalkeepers%3A%20Thibaut%20Courtois%2C%20Simon%20Mignolet%2C%20Koen%20Casteels%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDefenders%3A%20Jan%20Vertonghen%2C%20Toby%20Alderweireld%2C%20Leander%20Dendoncker%2C%20Zeno%20Debast%2C%20Arthur%20Theate%2C%20Wout%20Faes%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMidfielders%3A%20Hans%20Vanaken%2C%20Axel%20Witsel%2C%20Youri%20Tielemans%2C%20Amadou%20Onana%2C%20Kevin%20De%20Bruyne%2C%20Yannick%20Carrasco%2C%20Thorgan%20Hazard%2C%20Timothy%20Castagne%2C%20Thomas%20Meunier%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EForwards%3A%20Romelu%20Lukaku%2C%20Michy%20Batshuayi%2C%20Lo%C3%AFs%20Openda%2C%20Charles%20De%20Ketelaere%2C%20Eden%20Hazard%2C%20Jeremy%20Doku%2C%20Dries%20Mertens%2C%20Leandro%20Trossard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE%20FIXTURES
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The%20Roundup
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
Top tips
Create and maintain a strong bond between yourself and your child, through sensitivity, responsiveness, touch, talk and play. “The bond you have with your kids is the blueprint for the relationships they will have later on in life,” says Dr Sarah Rasmi, a psychologist.
Set a good example. Practise what you preach, so if you want to raise kind children, they need to see you being kind and hear you explaining to them what kindness is. So, “narrate your behaviour”.
Praise the positive rather than focusing on the negative. Catch them when they’re being good and acknowledge it.
Show empathy towards your child’s needs as well as your own. Take care of yourself so that you can be calm, loving and respectful, rather than angry and frustrated.
Be open to communication, goal-setting and problem-solving, says Dr Thoraiya Kanafani. “It is important to recognise that there is a fine line between positive parenting and becoming parents who overanalyse their children and provide more emotional context than what is in the child’s emotional development to understand.”
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
Barcelona 3
Messi (27’, 32’, 87’)
Leganes 1
El Zhar (68’)
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
