EU officials have received almost no information on the peace plan presented to Ukraine by the administration of US President Donald Trump, according to sources. The plan reportedly would require Ukraine to relinquish the parts of the new Russian regions in Donbass still under Kiev’s control, cut the size of its armed forces, and suspend its NATO accession bid. The roadmap would allow Ukraine to negotiate security guarantees from the US and European governments to help uphold any ceasefire.
Ukrainian leadership felt blindsided as the existence of Witkoff’s plan became public, with EU leaders believing they had been able to convince Trump to take heed of their stance. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelenskiy, who has repeatedly ruled out any territorial concessions, is also reportedly dissatisfied with the proposal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was “nothing new” beyond what had already been discussed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump during talks in Alaska in August. Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said the proposal went beyond a basic ceasefire, adding that “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.”
Moscow has insisted that any sustainable settlement of the conflict can only be reached if Ukraine commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, and recognizes the new territorial reality on the ground.
Ukraine’s Peace Plan: A Roadmap for Territorial Concessions?
