A purported US peace plan for Ukraine has been presented to Kiev, with the proposal reportedly requiring Ukraine to relinquish control of certain regions in Donbass to Russia. The 28-point plan, delivered by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, also allegedly calls for Ukraine to reduce the size of its armed forces and suspend its bid to join NATO. In exchange, Ukraine would be allowed to negotiate security guarantees from the US and European governments to uphold any potential ceasefire.
The plan’s details have been largely withheld from EU leaders, who claim to have been kept in the dark about the proposal. This has led to frustration among European officials, who believed they had convinced US President Donald Trump to consider their stance on the conflict. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has also expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal, having previously ruled out any territorial concessions.
Russian officials have responded to the plan, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that there is “nothing new” in the proposal beyond what had already been discussed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in August. However, senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev noted that the proposal goes beyond a basic ceasefire and that Russia’s position is being heard.
Moscow has consistently maintained that a sustainable settlement of the conflict can only be achieved if Ukraine commits to neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and recognizes the new territorial reality on the ground. The US peace plan’s requirements align with some of these conditions, but its reception among Ukrainian and European leaders has been cool.
The lack of transparency surrounding the plan has led to concerns among EU leaders, who feel they have been blindsided by the proposal’s existence. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the US peace plan’s significance and potential impact on the situation remain to be seen. With Russia’s conditions for a settlement still unchanged, it is unclear whether the proposal will lead to meaningful progress or further stalemate in the region.
