On Monday the Zelensky government laid out its red lines concerning the US-proposed peace plan with Russia, which demands that Kiev agree to territorial concessions in the eastern Donbas region. 

Ukraine's senior political leaders and lawmakers, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, set firm non-negotiable conditions for any future peace agreement with Russia, coupled with a warning that Moscow is attempting to force the international community to accept its territorial seizures, according to Ukrainian media. 

Kyiv Post cited parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk as making clear that Ukraine will not accept "any form of legal recognition of Russia’s occupation," nor will accept that restrictions be placed on its armed forces, given the US 28-point plan calls for just that. The statement is said to also express with will of the presidential office.

Most importantly, the Zelensky government has said it will reject outside attempts to control its future alliances, which is a reference to the US plan's call for a commitment that Ukraine never join NATO.

Additionally, frozen Russian assets should serve as the "cost of aggression" - speaker Stefanchuk made clear. The current US draft plan envisions that merely some - possibly about one-third of what's been frozen in European banks - would be used for war reparations. 

The so-called European counter-plan currently being floated in leaked draft format is actually more consistent with these demands of Kiev. President Putin has said that Trump's plan could form the basis of a future peace, but the Kremlin is unlikely to see anything workable in the European plan.

Meanwhile President Zelensky is still trying to walk a fine line between pleasing Trump while showing willingness to work toward an end to the conflict, and sticking to a firm 'pro-Ukraine' wartime stance.

In a Sunday Truth Social post Trump had blasted Zelensky and the Ukrainians for showing "zero gratitude" for the US efforts.

But in follow-up, Zelensky is trying to make nice, pledging in his own response post that Ukraine would "never be an obstacle to peace" - but also emphasized the importance of his country remaining independent and sovereign. 

"Everyone is offering support, giving advice, providing information — and I am grateful to each and every person who is giving this help to us, to Ukraine. It is important to ensure that the steps to end the war are effective, and that everything is doable," Zelensky explained. "Ukraine has never wanted war, and we will never be an obstacle to peace."