Kyiv, Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday warned he will not "betray" his country as he pushed back on a US plan to end the war on terms favorable to Moscow.

Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, Zelensky said in an address to the nation published on social media, adding that he would propose "alternatives" to US President Donald Trump's 28-point plan.

Kyiv and its European allies were startled by the proposal, which would effectively force Ukraine to capitulate by giving up land, cutting its army, pledging never to join NATO and holding snap elections.

Russia, meanwhile, would not only gain territory but be reintegrated into the global economy and rejoin the G8, under a draft of the plan, seen by AFP.

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In Moscow, the Kremlin was bullish, threatening Zelensky to negotiate or lose even more territory.

Zelensky said: "I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will propose alternatives."

Recalling how he marshalled Kyiv's response to the Russian invasion in February 2022, he said: "We did not betray Ukraine then, we will not do so now."

He spoke to US Vice President JD Vance on Friday, a source in the Ukrainian president's office said, without elaborating on the discussion.

The US plan envisages recognizing Moscow-annexed Crimea and occupied eastern Ukraine as "de-facto" Russian, also requiring Kyiv to pull out from parts of the Donetsk region that it still controls.

The front line would be frozen in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Kyiv would also cap the size of its army at 600,000, rule out ever joining NATO and have no NATO troops deployed to its territory.

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In return, it would get unspecified "reliable security guarantees" and a fund for reconstruction using parts of Russia's frozen assets.

Zelensky has made no illusions about how much of a corner Ukraine has been backed into with the proposals.

"Right now is one of the most difficult moments in our history," Zelensky said in the address to the nation, wearing all black.

"The pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner," he said, warning of a complete break with the US.

The Trump administration has rejected accusations that it worked on the proposal with Moscow, which, in turn, said it had not officially received the draft.

The White House insisted that it was a "good plan" for both Russian and Ukraine.

Zelensky has also sought to rally the support of his key European allies, who pledged their "unwavering and full support for Ukraine on the path to a lasting and just peace" and appeared to push back against the proposal.

No official timeline has been given for Ukraine to respond to the plan, but Zelensky has said he will speak to Trump in the coming days.