US President Donald Trump has proposed a peace plan that would likely be rejected by Ukraine, with the country set to cede significant territory to Russia and limit its military size. The draft, which was obtained by the AP, suggests that Ukraine would not join NATO, preventing future expansion of the alliance, and that Moscow would retain control over the eastern Donbas region.
Under the plan, Kyiv's military would be reduced from approximately 880,000 troops to just 600,000, while Russia would commit to no further attacks. Additionally, $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would be dedicated to rebuilding Ukraine, but handing over territory to Moscow would be deeply unpopular and illegal under Ukraine's constitution.
The plan would also allow Russia to retain control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, which it captured from Ukraine early on. If either side violated the truce, they would face sanctions.
European diplomats have expressed alarm over the draft, stating that Ukraine and Europe must be consulted, as the proposal seems too favorable towards Russia. The US special envoy to Ukraine has informed the White House of his impending departure, while Trump's special envoy, Keith Kellogg, has also announced he will leave his post in January.
The peace plan is a significant departure from previous diplomatic efforts, which have so far come to nothing. Trump frequently complained that negotiations involving Ukraine were taking longer than other conflicts where he helped mediate. The proposal has fueled concerns among European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington is sidelining them in its push to stop the fighting.
The draft was drawn up after US special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Rustem Umerov, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll also discussed it with the Ukrainian president. However, Zelenskyy offered only a measured statement on social media, not directly addressing the substance of the proposal.
It remains unclear whether European foreign ministers had seen the peace plan before its release. Trump's at times conciliatory approach to Putin has fueled concerns among European leaders that he is too soft on Russia, while his recent announcement of heavy sanctions on Russia's oil sector suggests a tougher line.
Under the plan, Kyiv's military would be reduced from approximately 880,000 troops to just 600,000, while Russia would commit to no further attacks. Additionally, $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would be dedicated to rebuilding Ukraine, but handing over territory to Moscow would be deeply unpopular and illegal under Ukraine's constitution.
The plan would also allow Russia to retain control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhia, which it captured from Ukraine early on. If either side violated the truce, they would face sanctions.
European diplomats have expressed alarm over the draft, stating that Ukraine and Europe must be consulted, as the proposal seems too favorable towards Russia. The US special envoy to Ukraine has informed the White House of his impending departure, while Trump's special envoy, Keith Kellogg, has also announced he will leave his post in January.
The peace plan is a significant departure from previous diplomatic efforts, which have so far come to nothing. Trump frequently complained that negotiations involving Ukraine were taking longer than other conflicts where he helped mediate. The proposal has fueled concerns among European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Washington is sidelining them in its push to stop the fighting.
The draft was drawn up after US special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Rustem Umerov, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll also discussed it with the Ukrainian president. However, Zelenskyy offered only a measured statement on social media, not directly addressing the substance of the proposal.
It remains unclear whether European foreign ministers had seen the peace plan before its release. Trump's at times conciliatory approach to Putin has fueled concerns among European leaders that he is too soft on Russia, while his recent announcement of heavy sanctions on Russia's oil sector suggests a tougher line.
. And limiting Ukraine's military size to 600,000 troops? That sounds like a recipe for disaster. I mean, wouldn't that be giving Russia a huge advantage in case of another conflict? And what about the $100 billion in frozen Russian assets? Is that just gonna line Putin's pockets? 
It seems like Trump is trying to prop up his buddy Putin with this plan and ignore Ukraine's concerns.
... i mean, who would agree to give away half their territory to russia? 
like what's going on in that head of his?
... maybe he's trying to keep a low profile until everyone gets over the shock? 
. Ukraine would basically be forced to give up a huge chunk of its territory and agree not to join NATO? That's not exactly what you'd call a fair deal 
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. And what about the nuclear power plant thing? I mean, come on 
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. It does seem like it's leaning way too heavily in Russia’s favor 
. And what about all the other diplomatic efforts that have failed so far? Why bother with a plan that feels like it was drawn up by Putin himself 
. I mean, ceding significant territory to Russia and limiting Ukraine's military size? That's just not fair 
It's like Washington is giving up too easily on Ukraine. I wish we could just talk to Russia and figure something out without sacrificing so much of Ukraine's sovereignty 
. And what about all those sanctions? My kid would be super confused if everyone was suddenly taking away their toys (I mean, privileges) 
. This whole situation is just so complicated...
. trump's history with putin is sketchy at best, how can we trust him to make a fair deal? 
. And let's be real, $100 billion for rebuilding Ukraine is a pretty generous offer 
. And yeah, maybe he's been a bit critical of Ukraine's military buildup, but that's just business as usual in geopolitics 
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. He's just trying to find a way forward, even if it means making some tough compromises 
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. I think it's a good starting point for negotiations and who knows, maybe we'll see some real progress soon 
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what about the people living there? they're not exactly in a position to negotiate this kind of deal. and have you seen volodymyr zelenskyy's statement on social media? it was basically just a bland "we'll consider it"... like, hello, that's not exactly reassuring. and european diplomats are already freaking out, saying the plan is too favorable towards russia... 
this proposal sounds like it's straight out of a bad deal! Ukraine giving up so much territory and control over its own military? No way 
Interesting how Trump is trying to broker peace with Russia, but at what cost? Europe seems to be getting left out of the loop again 
shouldn't they just be able to communicate with ukraine directly instead of going through the usa? 
... I mean, Ukraine's got its own identity and government, you can't just let Russia take over like that 
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It feels like everyone's just trying to get a head start on something that might not even happen 
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600k troops isnt gonna cut it after all theyve been thru 300k should b the min!!! 
600k soldiers? thats crazy 
what kind of peace plan would even suggest ceding territory to Russia?! Ukraine should totally stand firm against this one 
and I don't get why the US president is pushing for this so harshly... didn't they learn from previous conflicts that appeasing aggressors only makes things worse?