US Drafts Controversial Peace Framework for Ukraine
The United States has delivered a clear message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that his government must accept a Washington-drafted framework to end the ongoing war with Russia. According to two anonymous sources familiar with the sensitive discussions, the proposed plan would require Kyiv to surrender territory and accept limitations on its military capabilities.
The revelations emerged on Wednesday, November 19th, as Ukraine faces mounting challenges on multiple fronts. Russian forces continue to make territorial gains in eastern Ukraine while Zelenskyy simultaneously deals with a domestic corruption scandal that recently led to the dismissal of his energy and justice ministers.
Key Elements of the Proposed Agreement
The US-drafted framework includes several controversial provisions that would represent significant concessions from Ukraine's current position. Sources indicate the proposal calls for reducing the size of Ukraine's armed forces among other military limitations. Washington has apparently emphasized that Kyiv needs to accept the main points of this framework for peace negotiations to advance.
A senior Ukrainian official confirmed to Reuters that Kyiv had received "signals" about a set of US proposals to end the conflict. Notably, Ukraine has had no role in preparing these proposals, according to the source, raising questions about the negotiation process.
Additional reporting from Axios suggests the plan might involve Ukraine granting Moscow control over additional eastern territories it doesn't currently hold. In exchange, the United States would provide security guarantees for Kyiv and Europe against future Russian aggression.
International Reactions and Diplomatic Moves
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the situation on social media platform X, stating that Washington "will continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict." He emphasized that achieving durable peace would require "both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions."
European diplomats expressed skepticism about the proposed framework. One diplomat suggested the Trump administration might be attempting "to push Kyiv into a corner," while another noted that demands to cut Ukraine's army sounded more like Russian requirements than serious American proposals.
President Zelenskyy, who was holding talks in Turkey with President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, carefully addressed the situation without directly mentioning Washington's framework. In Telegram comments, he called for effective US leadership to help end the more than three-and-a-half-year conflict.
"The main thing for stopping the bloodshed and achieving lasting peace is that we work in coordination with all our partners and that American leadership remains effective, strong," Zelenskyy wrote after meeting Erdogan in Ankara.
The Ukrainian president specifically highlighted that only the United States and President Donald Trump "have sufficient strength for the war to finally come to an end." He also noted that Erdogan had proposed various formats for talks and that Turkey stands ready to provide necessary platforms for negotiations.
Market Impact and Russian Position
Signs of renewed efforts by the Trump administration to end the war triggered the biggest jump in Ukraine's government bond prices in months on Wednesday, indicating market optimism about potential conflict resolution.
However, Moscow has shown no indication of changing its fundamental demands for ending the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to insist that Kyiv renounce plans to join NATO and withdraw troops from four provinces that Moscow claims as Russian territory.
Currently, Russian forces control approximately 19% of Ukrainian territory and continue to advance while conducting frequent attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
The White House declined to comment on the specific framework, maintaining diplomatic silence on the sensitive negotiations. A US delegation led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is currently in Kyiv on what the US embassy describes as a "fact-finding mission." Army Chief of Staff General Randy George is also part of the delegation and is scheduled to meet with President Zelenskyy on Thursday.
Turkey, a NATO member that has maintained relationships with both Kyiv and Moscow, hosted initial peace talks in the early weeks of the war in 2022. These remain the only substantial negotiations until the current US-led initiative under the Trump administration.
