Ukraine receives US proposal to end war with Russia, Zelensky to discuss plan with Trump
Ukraine has received a US proposal to end its war with Russia, the Ukrainian presidency confirmed on Thursday. President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to discuss the plan with US president Donald Trump in the coming days.
According to international media reports, the 28-point proposal would require Ukraine to withdraw entirely from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, cut its army by half and give up long-range weapons. In return, the United States would offer security guarantees to Ukraine and Europe to protect them from future Russian aggression.
The plan is considered highly unlikely to be accepted in Kyiv, as its terms heavily favour Moscow. Ukrainian officials say the document was drafted jointly by Kirill Dmitriev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff. They described it as a "provocation" and said agreeing to it would amount to capitulation.
Zelensky has repeatedly stated that such concessions are unacceptable. His office adopted a more cautious tone on Thursday, however, saying Ukraine remains ready "to work constructively with the American side, as well as with our partners in Europe and around the world, so that the outcome is peace."
Europe on the sidelines
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc was not consulted on the proposal. "For any peace plan to succeed, it has to be supported by Ukraine, and it has to be supported by Europe," she said. Kallas stressed that EU policy remains focused on "weakening Russia" through sanctions, arguing that pressure should be put "on the aggressor, not the victim."
Kallas also reiterated the EU’s intention to continue supporting Ukraine. That includes through the much-discussed reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets, most of which are held at Euroclear in Brussels. Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever again warned on Thursday that Belgium will not support the use of those assets without "firm legal guarantees" and "contractual risk coverage."
PHOTO © Ozan KOSE / AFP
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