The proposal requires that Kiev relinquish territory, reduce its army, and recognize Russian as an official language, Axios and FT have reported
A US-proposed peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict developed jointly with Moscow requires major concessions from Kiev and would amount to it giving up its sovereignty, Axios and the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Russia has not confirmed the proposal.
The framework agreement, containing 28 points, was delivered to Kiev this week by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to people familiar with the matter, cited by various outlets. The sources said Witkoff made clear that he wanted Vladimir Zelensky to accept the terms.
According to FT, the proposed plan 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 by half and abandon key categories of weaponry. A rollback of US military assistance is included in the framework. One source told FT that accepting the conditions would amount to Ukraine giving up its sovereignty.
The document reportedly also stipulates recognizing Russian as an official state language in Ukraine and granting official status to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the largest Christian denomination in the country, which Zelensky’s government has cracked down on over its historic ties with Russia.
Moscow has accused Kiev of violating the rights of native Russian speakers, who make up a significant share of the population, citing it as one of the root causes of the conflict.
Russian officials insist any lasting settlement must address fundamental security demands, including that Ukraine maintain neutrality, stay out of NATO and other military blocs, demilitarize and denazify, and accept the current territorial reality.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not confirm the proposal and said that there is “nothing new” in the US-Russia talks beyond what was discussed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump in Alaska.
Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev told Axios, which first reported on the plan, that it was more than a ceasefire arrangement, saying “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.”
A White House official told Politico the plan could be agreed by all parties by the end of this month and possibly “as soon as this week.”
Read the full article here