President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signaled he may allow Ukrainians to vote on whether to hand the Donbas region to Russia, as Kyiv faces mounting pressure to consider terms in a developing US-backed peace plan.

Zelenskiy reiterated that Ukraine will not accept the Kremlin’s demands to cede territory, saying, “The Russians want the whole of Donbas, we don’t accept that.” bloomberg reported.

His comments came as discussions accelerate between Washington, Kyiv and Moscow on the outlines of a possible deal to end the nearly four-year war.

Moscow continues to insist that Ukrainian forces withdraw from eastern territories, including parts of Donetsk and Luhansk that Russia has failed to fully capture. The status of these regions has emerged as a central sticking point in negotiations.

Zelenskiy has held talks with the administration of President Donald Trump on the latest peace proposal, which includes competing concepts for the contested areas: a “free economic zone,” floated by US negotiators, and a Russian demand for a “demilitarized zone.”

Ukrainian allies are set to discuss the latest draft of the peace plan on Thursday, following a trilateral call on Wednesday between the leaders of Germany, France and the UK with Trump. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was “relatively optimistic” about progress ahead of the weekend as the sides seek consensus.

Zelenskiy said his team is working daily on the 20-point peace framework. Ukrainian negotiators sent a revised version to Washington late Wednesday, though the document remains in flux. “This plan is constantly being revised and edited. It is an ongoing process that continues now,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader also voiced confidence that Kyiv and Washington will soon finalize an economic agreement under discussion with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and BlackRock Inc. Chief Executive Larry Fink focused on postwar recovery and long-term development.

Meanwhile, anxiety across Europe is rising over the war’s trajectory. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned Thursday that unchecked Russian aggression could spread beyond Ukraine.

“We need to be crystal clear about the threat,” Rutte said in a speech in Berlin. “We are Russia’s next target. And we are already in harm’s way.”