A draft proposal for ending the war in Ukraine, obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, outlines a peace plan spearheaded by President Donald Trump that would require major concessions from Kyiv, including ceding territory to Russia and accepting limits on the size of its military.
Key Provisions of the Draft Peace Plan
Washington and Moscow collaborated on the draft, which was the subject of discussions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a U.S. representative on Thursday. If enacted, the plan would resolve the nearly four-year-old conflict but at a significant cost to Ukraine and its European allies.
The proposal would formally bar Ukraine from joining NATO, a long-standing strategic goal for Kyiv. Furthermore, it would prevent the military alliance from any future expansion, a major victory for Moscow, which perceives NATO as a direct threat to its security.
Russian President Vladimir Putin would also gain strategically important land that has eluded his forces on the battlefield. According to the draft, Moscow would be granted control over the entire eastern Donbas region, despite approximately 14% of it currently remaining under Ukrainian control.
Concessions and Rebuilding Efforts
The White House views a Russian commitment to refrain from future attacks as a key concession. In return, the plan outlines a path to lift sanctions on Russia and reintegrate it into the group formerly known as the Group of 8, which comprises many of the world's largest economies.
To aid in Ukraine's recovery, $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would be dedicated to rebuilding the country. However, the requirement to hand over sovereign territory is expected to be deeply unpopular within Ukraine and is illegal under the nation's constitution. President Zelenskyy has repeatedly and publicly ruled out such a possibility.
Diplomatic Backchannel and Military Claims
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff have been quietly developing the peace plan for a month. They have received input from both Ukrainian and Russian sides on acceptable terms. The drafting process has been heavily influenced by Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Putin.
In a separate development, Russia's chief military officer, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, announced that Moscow's forces had taken full control of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, while acknowledging some Ukrainian troops remained. The general staff for Ukraine's armed forces immediately denied these claims, asserting that Kyiv's forces still control the city.
