Ukraine conflict reaches critical point, Trump’s last proposal faces rejection

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus. I'm Kim Mok-yeon.

The Ukraine war seems to be showing no sign of ending.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who once promised to stop the fighting within a day of taking office, is now closing in on 100 days with little real progress.

His latest peace plan, asking Ukraine to give up Crimea, has been flatly rejected by Kyiv.

On the ground, Russia is pushing harder, claiming new victories, and even admitting North Korean troops are fighting alongside them.

At the same time, Ukraine's resistance is showing signs of strain.

Despite a brief meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at Pope Francis' funeral, deep gaps remain.

With diplomacy stalling and the battlefield growing even bloodier, the prospects for a ceasefire seem uncertain, so at this point, is there still room for a breakthrough, or could the situation worsen moving forward?

For more on this, we invite Min Jeong-hun, Professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy, here in the studio. Welcome.

Also, joining us from Australia is Dr. Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Great to have you.

1. (Min) Let's start with Prof. Min. President Trump, presented a final mediation proposal last week that effectively requires Ukraine to cede territory — specifically Crimea.

2. (Davis) Now to Dr. Davis. Despite Ukraine's strong opposition to the final proposal, President Trump stated in a media interview that "the fact Russia is not occupying all of Ukraine is already a major concession." Why is the U.S. putting forward statements that seem to be in favor of Russia?

3. (Min) In addition to this, Trump is pressuring Ukraine by warning that if no agreement is reached, the U.S. will completely withdraw from mediating the war.

4. (Davis) At the same time, President Trump has hinted at the possibility of imposing banking-related sanctions and secondary sanctions on Russia, which continues its offensives in Ukraine. Amid criticism that the negotiation process is leaning toward Russia, do you think this move could be seen as an attempt to maintain balance, Dr. Davis?

5. (Min) During the funeral of Pope Francis, President Trump and President Zelenskyy held a brief meeting — their first encounter since the failed White House talks.

6. (Davis) Meanwhile, Russian media reports claim that Russia has fully regained control over the key battleground of Kursk. Ukraine has denied these reports, calling them untrue. Dr. Davis, if Russia's claim about retaking Kursk turns out to be accurate, how might this shift the dynamics of the ceasefire negotiations?

7. (Min) Russia and North Korea officially acknowledged for the first time that North Korean forces have participated in the fighting.

8. (Davis) Latest reports say that President Putin told U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who visited Russia on the 25th, that Russia is ready to engage in peace talks with Ukraine without preconditions. Dr. Davis, what is the likelihood of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine happening, and what variables could impact that?

9. (Min) President Trump had repeatedly vowed during his presidential campaign to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. Yet negotiations still remain stalled.