The US government gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just a few days to respond to the peace proposal - the Financial Times quoted insider sources as saying on December 10.
According to an official, US President Donald Trump expects to make a deal before Christmas, although he previously said he wanted to see the results on Thanksgiving but later confirmed that there was no specific deadline.
A Financial Times source said the US delegation submitted to Mr Zelensky a plan in November, including a request for Ukraine to withdraw forces from part of Donbass under control - a key condition for Russia to consider a broader ceasefire.
Mr Zelensky is said to have told US special advisers that he needed more time to consult his European allies before giving a final answer.
During his visit to London earlier in the week, Mr Zelensky admitted that Washington was pressuring Kiev towards a yield, but stressed that there was still no consensus on the territorial issue. He reiterated that Ukraine is not ready to give up its land if it does not fight to the end.
Meanwhile, Russia has continuously recorded progress on the front line. In early December, the Russian Defense Ministry announced control of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), a city described by President Vladimir Putin as an important "stepping stone" for further campaigns.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian commander admitted that their forces are lacking weapons, manpower and have difficulty in compensating for losses.
On December 10, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia is moving towards a "stable, legally guaranteed" peace deal, not a temporary ceasefire. He said this when asked about Zelensky's proposal to call for the two sides to temporarily suspend attacks on energy infrastructure, in the context of Ukraine having to apply alternating power cuts due to recent airstrikes.
In fact, in early March, Russia and Ukraine agreed a 30-day ceasefire on the energy infrastructure system, reached after a phone call between President Putin and President Donald Trump. However, Moscow has accused Kiev of repeated violations, attacking refineries and energy facilities deep inside Russia. At the time, Russia said it did not respond to show goodwill as a mediator of the United States.
In recent weeks, Russia has increased airstrikes on Ukrainian military and energy targets, forcing Kiev to widely implement alternating power cuts. Moscow insists its strikes were in response to terrorist operations carried out by Ukraine in Russia, saying they were targeting only military facilities or military-related facilities, not civilians.
In the context of an unfavorable battlefield and the increasingly urgent time Washington has set for, Kiev is facing a major turning point: Either accepting US-Russia peace under the shaping conditions, or betting on a long-term war when all resources are gradually running low.
