In his tightest corner yet, will Zelensky rise to the occasion?

Ukraine's leader faces one of his biggest tests as he grapples with a US peace plan

- Cassandra Vinograd and Andrew E. Kramer

It is another make-or-break moment of wartime leadership for President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

Late last week, the Trump administration delivered to Mr Zelensky a 28-point peace plan that many Ukrainians and their Western allies have called a wish list for Russia, a reward for its aggression and a betrayal of Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader was given seven days to either accept it or potentially watch the United States walk away from any remaining support.

US President Donald Trump appears to be doubling down on his statement earlier this year that Ukraine doesn’t “have the cards” to keep fighting, with Mr Zelensky’s government now under pressure from battlefield losses and a major corruption scandal. But through nearly four years of war, analysts say, Mr Zelensky has often played weak hands wisely.

While he has publicly acknowledged that the American proposal poses one of the gravest challenges ever to Ukraine, it has also inadvertently strengthened Mr Zelensky at home, at least for the time being. The 28-point plan has shifted the focus away from a graft scandal that has reached his inner circle and threatened to paralyse his government, allowing Mr Zelensky to reprise his most successful role: as rally-er in chief.

“When Zelensky is cornered, he tends to go on the offensive,” said Mr Viktor Shlinchak, the head of the Institute of World Policy, an analytical research group.

Perhaps in his tightest corner yet, Mr Zelensky must decide how hard to push back on a settlement proposal that could bring a pause in the fighting but make it harder for Ukraine to ensure its long-term survival. To find a way through, he will need strong support from his European partners and the Ukrainian public.

Mr Zelensky, analysts say, has become a skilled political performer in the crucible of war.