Putin Acknowledges U.S. Proposal as Potential Basis for Ukraine Peace Agreement

On Friday, President Vladimir Putin indicated that a U.S. proposal could potentially «serve as a basis» for a peace agreement concerning Ukraine, marking the first instance in which he confirmed Moscow had received a copy from the United States.

«I think it may establish the groundwork for a final peace resolution,» he stated, alluding to Washington’s 28-point plan, which incorporates many of Russia’s critical demands and has elicited concerns from Kyiv and European nations.

Putin warned of the possibility of further territorial gains should Kyiv dismiss the plan, asserting that the recently claimed capture of the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk «will inevitably be repeated in other vital areas along the front.»

The peace plan draft, acquired by Western media, would necessitate Ukraine giving up territories it currently controls in the Donbas region, significantly downsizing its military, and committing to neutrality by pledging never to join NATO, among other stipulations.

Earlier that day, the Kremlin stated it had not received any formal peace proposal from Washington, despite reports suggesting that officials from Russia and the U.S. had been quietly developing the plan, and reiterated its dedication to the principles established during the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska in August.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned on Thursday that he was open to «honest» talks with the U.S. and European nations regarding the plan, which sources indicate Trump supported earlier in the week.

Trump revealed on Friday that he had set a deadline of November 27 for Ukraine to agree to his administration’s proposal.

«I’ve had many deadlines, but when things are progressing positively, you tend to extend them. However, we believe Thursday is a suitable time,» Trump commented during an interview with Fox Radio.

The proposed terms are likely to meet resistance in Ukraine. Additionally, it remains uncertain if Putin would agree to aspects that seem to necessitate concessions from Russia, including the transfer of $100 billion in frozen Russian assets designated for rebuilding and investment in Ukraine.

When asked on Friday if Moscow was ready to accept the suggested conditions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refrained from answering, stating that the Kremlin did not find it beneficial to publicly discuss such details.

«We are entirely open to dialogue and remain prepared for peace negotiations,» he remarked, while also emphasizing that Russia’s military progress should «make it clear to Zelensky and his administration that reaching an agreement sooner rather than later would be advisable.»

«The space for him to make autonomous decisions is dwindling as Russian forces continue their advances,» Peskov added.

The emergence of the U.S.-Russia draft plan comes at a challenging time for Zelensky. His administration is currently grappling with its most significant corruption scandal since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, following the discovery of a $100 million scheme in the energy sector by the country’s anti-corruption watchdog, which has implicated a businessman associated with the president as the alleged mastermind.

Reporting contributed by AFP.