Ukraine insists that any peace agreement must involve Kyiv, Europe, and the United States, and must focus on ending the war rather than allowing occupation, according to H.E. Olesya Ilashchuk, Ukrainian Ambassador to Bulgaria. She made the remarks following a memorial service at the church “St. Nedelya” in Sofia, honoring victims of the Holodomor.

“Ukraine is determined to see the war end. We have consistently defended our territorial integrity and await the decisions regarding the peace proposal from the United States. Our priority is an honest dialogue grounded in international law, with support from both the United States and Europe. Russia, however, has no genuine desire to pursue peace. I am not pessimistic, just realistic,” Ilashchuk said.

When asked whether Ukraine could accept a peace agreement without its direct involvement or without European participation, the ambassador was clear: “That is not possible. Only Ukraine, together with our partners, the United States and the European Union, can negotiate a true plan for peace, not a framework for occupation.”

Washington recently presented a preliminary draft of a 28-point agreement to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Analysts familiar with the text have pointed out that it largely mirrors Moscow’s maximalist conditions for ending the conflict. Discussions between Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected in the coming days.

The Russian military currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, much of which has been heavily damaged by years of fighting. Ukraine has reiterated that it will never formally recognize these territorial losses, although it acknowledges that restoring control may ultimately require diplomatic means.

Among the key proposals, the U.S. plan reportedly calls for reducing Ukraine’s armed forces to 400,000 troops, a reduction of more than half, and the relinquishment of all long-range weaponry. The text also includes vaguely defined negotiations between Ukraine, the United States, and Europe regarding security guarantees.

Kyiv, however, insists on concrete guarantees backed by the West, including potential NATO membership or protection under Article 5, as well as a European-led peacekeeping mission to prevent future Russian incursions. Following the release of the draft, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that “a sustainable peace will require difficult but necessary concessions from both sides.”