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.

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 and other Western leaders meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit scrambled on Saturday to come up with a coordinated response to U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for Ukraine to accept his peace plan with Russia by Thursday.

President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has informed the White House he’ll leave his post in January

The White House wants Kyiv to sign off on a “framework” to end the war in Ukraine based upon the U.S.-crafted 28-point peace plan by Thursday, according to three U.S. officials.