With Ukraine not joining NATO, a smaller army and permanent surrender of territory – the US administration’s new plan to end Russia’s war of aggression contains many proposals that will be difficult for Kiev to accept. Several media outlets published a draft of the 28-point agreement, which is intended to guarantee a permanent ceasefire after more than three and a half years of war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphatically not accepted the US proposal, but at least appears willing to hold talks.
A delegation led by Daniel Driscoll, Secretary of State at the US Department of Defense, presented the latest ideas from President Donald Trump’s administration at talks in Kiev. Zelensky said in a video message afterwards: “The Americans presented the points of the plan to end the war – their point of view. I conveyed our principles.”
“Now we have to work on individual points,” said Zelenskyj. “We are ready for clear and honest work – Ukraine, America, our partners in Europe and the rest of the world.” According to his office, Zelensky wants to immediately speak with Trump by telephone.
Ukraine’s European supporters, who want to be involved in negotiations, were somewhat surprised by the US move. Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul does not see the concept as a finished plan, but as a contribution to bringing the parties to the conflict to the negotiating table. And the compromise proposal actually contains several points that are difficult to accept, even from a European perspective.
This is what the proposal envisions
According to consistent reports from the US news portal “Axios” and other media, the draft law from Washington provides for territorial concessions from Ukraine and more: Crimea and the Ukrainian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be recognized de facto as belonging to Russia. To do this, Ukraine must constitutionally not join NATO, limit the size of its army to 600,000 men, and remain free of nuclear weapons. Although the country is allowed to join the EU – at least theoretically – given the complicated situation, it is unlikely that this will happen in the future.
In return, Ukraine was promised “reliable security guarantees” from the US, although in practice it remains unclear what this means. Russia, which started a war of aggression in violation of international law in February 2022, must renounce any further territorial claims and legally commit to stopping its aggression against Europe and Ukraine. Billions of dollars in confiscated Russian state assets will be used to encourage reconstruction and investment in Ukraine – a condition Moscow will not easily accept.
The American-Russian working group on security issues must ensure that the agreement is adhered to – and the “Peace Council” chaired by Trump must ensure compliance with the agreement. When all parties have agreed to a peace plan and the military withdrawal to the agreed positions has been completed, the goal is to initiate a ceasefire. Additionally, elections will be held in Ukraine 100 days after the agreement is completed.
The US wants to be respected
According to US government spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, the plan was developed over weeks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. The two held discussions with representatives of Russia and Ukraine to understand what these countries are ready to do to achieve lasting peace.
Under the peace plan, the US would be compensated for unspecified security guarantees. They should benefit from various economic projects, for example in the energy sector and rare earth exploitation. Russia, in turn, will be reintegrated into the global economy and invited to rejoin the group of leading industrial countries after being temporarily excluded. The G7 will then become the G8 again.
It is important for the US that the agreement be signed as quickly as possible, the charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Kiev, Julie Davis, told the “Ukrainskaya Pravda” news portal.
Wadephul emphasized: Everything is in flux
According to his own statement, Federal Foreign Minister Wadephul spoke at length by telephone with US special envoy Witkoff. In the ZDF “heute journal”, the CDU politician said that any commitment to ensuring both sides can talk to each other is correct and worth supporting. Everything is in flux, and US Secretary of State Rubio also said that this is a list of topics and options that still need to be considered and discussed.
Putin stuck to his war aims
Initially there was no official reaction from Moscow after the 28 points became known. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin demonstratively visited a Russian army command post and reaffirmed his commitment to the war cause while appearing in camouflage uniform. “We have a common task, our goal. The most important thing is to achieve the objectives of the special military operation with certainty,” Putin was quoted as saying by the Kremlin. The head of state was informed by the generals about the advance of his troops in Ukraine.
Five people died in an airstrike in Zaporizhzhia
At least five people were killed as a result of Russian airstrikes overnight in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. Three other people were injured, the region’s governor, Ivan Fedorov, said via Telegram. He did not provide any information regarding the weapons used, even though there had previously been warnings of a glide bomb attack. This industrial city is only 20 kilometers from the front line.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the largest in Europe, is also located there and is occupied by Russian troops. Trump’s peace plan calls for nuclear power plants to be placed under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The electricity generated there will then be shared equally between Ukraine and Russia.
