America’s peace plan to end the war in Ukraine offers no concessions to the war-torn country — Ukraine — amid a subtle compromise for Russia in its demand to take over the entire territory. Some US officials and experts said the new 28-point plan, which offers no compelling reasons for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the proposed plan, is a no-win for Europe’s second-largest country.
What is changing for Russia
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff proposed the peace plan after consulting with Ukrainian and Russian officials.
The proposed pact calls for the Ukrainians to give up the entire Donbas region, while Russia would renege on a promise to take over the entire country.
According to the New York Post, the area handed over to Russia would include territory that Vladimir Putin’s military has been unable to secure for more than a decade.
As Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy grid, Trump has doubled down on his view that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “doesn’t have the cards” to continue the fight, the AP reported.
Although the latest deal leans heavily in Russia’s favor, Trump said in an Oval Office appearance, “(Zelensky) has to approve it” for peace as he sought an answer by next Thursday.
Looking at the deal, a source familiar with the matter said: “This plan will obviously stop (Putin) in his tracks, end the war – and also force him to give up some territory, which, as you know, is a huge loss for him and for Russia.”
What is changing for Ukraine
Under Trump’s peace plan, Ukraine would never join NATO, reducing its armed forces to 600,000 personnel from the current estimated 900,000 personnel. The proposed pact also calls for Ukraine to grant amnesty to all parties involved in hostilities.
“The proposal is a bad deal that the Trump administration has rightfully refused to accept in the past,” George Barrose, program leader of the Institute for the Study of War in Russia, was quoted as saying by the New York Post.
He added: “Deterring future Russian aggression against Ukraine requires a strong Ukrainian military, foreign support for Ukraine – ideally in the form of foreign troops in the country – and a defensible front line.”
According to a senior US official, the main obstacle was getting Russian officials to agree to accept the agreement that they could not control all of Ukraine. Referring to the sticking point, he said: “I mean, look, everybody knows that Vladimir Putin wants to get the whole country,” adding: “That’s been his long-sought goal. That’s something he’s made pretty clear. The president is very aware of that.”
Regarding the discussed terms of the proposed plan, Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov gave “positive feedback” during his recent talks with Steve Witkoff in Miami. “The plan was drawn up immediately after discussions with one of the most senior members of the Zelensky administration, Umerov,” the official told the New York Post.
He further noted that although the Ukrainian minister agreed with most of this plan, several modifications were made to it, which were then presented to the Ukrainian president.
