U.S. Floats Controversial Ukraine Peace Proposal Requiring Major Concessions to Russia
Kyiv alarmed as draft plan demands territorial recognition, drastic army cuts, and surrender of long-range weapons, while Trump administration pushes to “restart negotiations.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Ukraine has received a new peace proposal from the United States that would require Kyiv to recognize Russian control over occupied territories, slash its armed forces by more than half, and surrender all long-range strike capabilities, according to a senior official who briefed AFP on Wednesday. The draft terms, which mirror Russia’s long-standing maximalist demands, immediately raised concerns in Kyiv and among European partners who view such concessions as amounting to capitulation.
The proposal reportedly includes U.S. acknowledgment of Crimea and other territories seized by Russian forces, as well as a reduction of Ukraine’s armed forces to 400,000 personnel.
What Moscow would be required to do in return remains “unclear,” the official said, noting uncertainty over whether the plan originated directly from President Donald Trump or from members of his entourage.
The Kremlin, for its part, has denied receiving any official details and dismissed earlier media reports suggesting progress in peace talks.
Russia currently controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory—much of it devastated by nearly four years of war. In 2022, Moscow annexed the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson despite lacking full military control, following its 2014 takeover of Crimea.
The new U.S. draft appears to meet long-standing Russian demands for Kyiv to recognize these territorial claims and further cede areas still under Ukrainian control.
The plan comes as senior Pentagon officials arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday. Led by U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, the delegation is expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday to discuss “efforts to end the war,” alongside military technology and strategy.
U.S. officials say the visit forms part of a broader White House effort to restart peace negotiations, though Kyiv was neither consulted nor asked to provide input on the proposed framework, according to Ukrainian and European officials familiar with the discussions.
Reports about the proposal surfaced the same day that at least 26 civilians were killed in a Russian missile and drone attack on the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, underscoring the continued intensity of Russia’s campaign.
Ukraine has rejected past overtures requiring it to give up land, arguing such moves would embolden Russia and undermine international law.
A senior administration official told NBC News that Trump has approved a 28-point plan aimed at securing a “durable peace” through mutual security guarantees for both Ukraine and Russia. The official declined to provide details, saying negotiations with key parties are ongoing, and confirmed that the plan has not yet been formally presented to Kyiv. The framework is reportedly inspired by Trump’s recent push for a Gaza ceasefire arrangement.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there were “no such plans” for Russian officials to meet Driscoll following his talks in Kyiv—signaling little movement since Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska in August for their highest-level discussions of the war to date.
Moscow also said it has not received any information through official diplomatic channels regarding the alleged U.S. draft plan.
According to Axios, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev met in Miami late last month to discuss a potential framework for ending the conflict. The reported 28-point U.S. plan, the outlet said, draws heavily from Trump’s recent diplomatic strategy in the Middle East, though it remains unclear how its provisions would be implemented in the vastly more complex context of the ongoing Ukraine war.
