European leaders are hoping to bolster the controversial plan, which Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was forcing his country to choose between "dignity" and a "key partner."

European leaders are set to meet in South Africa to discuss alternatives to a U.S. plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine as a top Ukrainian delegation prepared for direct talks with Washington.

“U.S. capability is unique. That’s absolutely clear and irreplaceable, even in a NATO context,” said James Appathurai, interim head of NATO’s DIANA defense innovation program. However, he added, “there are commercial options available to any country that were not available or not thought of even a few years ago.”

If Ukraine is forced to surrender to these terms by Thursday, Thanksgiving will no longer be an American holiday. It will become a Russian holiday.

American senators panned a U.S. peace proposal on Ukraine at an international security conference Saturday, with one calling it one of the most serious geopolitical mistakes of his lifetime. The 28-point peace plan was crafted by U.