U.S. Proposal for Peace in Ukraine: An Unpopular Compromise with Moscow?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet high-ranking U.S. military officials in Kyiv this Thursday, following the disclosure of a proposal from Washington aimed at concluding the war in a manner that favors Moscow.

This unforeseen plan from the United States suggests that Ukraine may be required to relinquish territory to Russia and constrain its military forces—demands that Kyiv has previously deemed unacceptable and tantamount to capitulation to Moscow, which initiated its large-scale invasion almost four years ago.

Here are the key details we have:

Information regarding the proposal, which an informed senior source shared with AFP, indicates that Ukraine might need to acquiesce to several of Russia’s significant demands, although it remains «unclear» what concessions Russia would provide in exchange.

Regarding territorial issues, the plan proposes the «recognition of Crimea and other areas that have been seized by Russians,» according to the source.

Currently, Russian forces control approximately 20% of Ukraine—most of which has been devastated by prolonged conflict.

In 2022, the Kremlin annexed four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—even though it does not possess full control over these territories.

Additionally, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously insisted that Ukraine must completely withdraw its troops from Donetsk and Luhansk, and he proposed freezing the front lines in the southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as reported by Turkey’s foreign minister, who facilitated three rounds of peace negotiations earlier this year.

Ukraine has consistently refused to acknowledge Russian dominion over its land, but it has recognized that diplomatic avenues might be necessary to reclaim territory.

Giving up land in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that Ukraine still manages could leave the country exposed to future assaults from Russia.

«This is about our nation’s survival,» Zelensky remarked recently.

According to the same source, the proposal would also necessitate that Ukraine reduce its military personnel to 400,000, effectively cutting its armed forces by more than half.

Kyiv would also need to forfeit all long-range weaponry.

This aligns with other demands made by Russia during negotiations in Istanbul earlier this year, where Moscow sought reductions in troop levels, a prohibition on mobilization, and a cessation of Western arms supplies.

Moreover, Russia has repeatedly declared that it will not tolerate any NATO forces on Ukrainian territory.

In contrast, Ukraine is advocating for solid security guarantees backed by the West, including the establishment of a European peacekeeping force, to deter any future re-invasion by Russia.

According to the U.S. media outlet Axios, the plan was developed in secret consultations between the Trump administration and Russia.

Many aspects of the proposal seem to reflect Moscow’s vision for resolving the conflict.

«It appears that this was proposed by the Russians to the Americans, who accepted it,» the senior source informed AFP.

«An important consideration is that we are uncertain whether this is genuinely Trump’s initiative or that of his advisors,» the official added.

Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine has dramatically fluctuated.

Throughout 2025, he transitioned from labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a «dictator» to encouraging Kyiv to strive for the retrieval of all territories seized by Russia, while also imposing sanctions on Moscow.

So far, there has been no formal response from Kyiv regarding the proposal. The Kremlin stated they had no comments when approached about the reports.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s leading diplomat, emphasized that any peace agreement must have the consent of both Kyiv and Brussels.

«For any plan to be effective, it must have the backing of Ukrainians and Europeans,» Kallas told reporters ahead of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

«We must recognize that in this conflict, there is one aggressor and one victim. So far, we have not seen any signs of concessions from the Russian side,» she concluded.