A controversial 28-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, secretly drafted by American and Russian officials, has been revealed, demanding significant concessions from Kyiv while offering substantial benefits to Moscow. The proposal, which President Donald Trump reportedly supports, is described by unnamed sources as 'heavily tilted towards Vladimir Putin' and 'very comfortable for Putin'. The plan was developed by Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Kremlin adviser, Kirill Dmitriev, and presented to Rustem Umerov, a high-ranking member of Zelensky’s government.

Under this plan, Ukraine would face severe restrictions on its sovereignty and defense capabilities. Its military would be limited to 600,000 personnel, a substantial reduction from its current size of over 900,000. Furthermore, Ukraine would be banned from seeking membership in the NATO military alliance and prohibited from deploying any NATO troops from the UK-led coalition on its territory. The plan includes only vague, unspecified 'security guarantees' for Ukraine. The country would also be barred from possessing long-range missiles capable of striking St Petersburg or Moscow, with foreign jets providing assistance required to be stationed in neighboring Poland.

Territorially, the plan calls for Ukraine to surrender significant portions of its land. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, would be internationally recognized as de facto Russian, along with the Donbas regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Despite still controlling about 14.5 percent of the territory in the mineral and coal-rich eastern Donbas, Ukraine would be forced to surrender its industrial heartland, which would become a demilitarized buffer zone internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. The frontlines in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions would be frozen along the line of contact. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would be relaunched under UN supervision, supplying half its output to Ukraine and the rest to Russia. The proposal stipulates that both Russia and Ukraine undertake not to change these territorial arrangements by force.

For Russia, the plan offers considerable political and economic advantages. It would be welcomed back into the G8, effectively making it the G7 again. Western sanctions would be lifted, and Russia would be reintegrated into the global economy. The Russian economy would receive a boost through a new long-term economic cooperation agreement with the U.S., including rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic. Furthermore, Moscow would be granted roughly two-thirds of the €300 billion (£265 billion) of sovereign assets frozen in Europe, amounting to €200 billion. All parties would receive 'full amnesty' for their actions during the war and agree not to pursue future claims or complaints.

The financial component also outlines benefits for the U.S. and obligations for Europe. The remaining €100 billion of frozen Russian assets would go towards reconstruction efforts in war-torn Ukraine, with the U.S. reaping 50 percent of the profits from these rebuilding projects. Europe would be expected to contribute an additional €100 billion to these efforts. The plan also mandates Ukraine to hold elections within 100 days, a key demand repeatedly pushed by Moscow.

The proposal has been met with astonishment and strong resistance from Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initially 'appreciated the efforts' of Trump and his team but later stated he would not 'betray' Ukraine, emphasizing the country's need for a 'dignified peace' and proposing 'alternatives.' He described the situation as one of the most difficult moments in Ukraine's history, facing the choice of 'either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.' Sources suggest the U.S. aimed for Zelensky to sign the framework by Thanksgiving, imposing a stiff deadline that Kyiv might find insufficient for negotiation. Ukraine’s security council chief and negotiator, Rustem Umerov, affirmed that Kyiv would refuse any proposal violating its 'red lines' concerning sovereignty and security, despite earlier reports suggesting he had 'agreed to the majority' of the plan with modifications, which he later clarified he had not officially approved.

European allies have also pushed back against the plan, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stating that 'peace cannot be a capitulation.' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that 'for any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board' and highlighted the lack of concessions from the Russian side. Many European officials expressed concern that they were not consulted in the peace efforts and that a bad deal for Kyiv would threaten broader European security. Leaders from Germany, France, and the UK held calls with Zelensky, assuring him of their continued support and emphasizing that 'Ukraine must determine its future.'

The Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitri Peskov, acknowledged 'contacts' with the U.S. but stated that Russia had not officially received the plan and that there had been no substantive discussions. He reiterated Russia's openness to peace talks but insisted any deal must address the 'root causes of the conflict,' a phrase Moscow uses to refer to its maximalist demands. Despite the momentum towards peace talks, Russia has shown no signs of halting its relentless strikes on Ukrainian civilians, with recent attacks causing casualties in Zaporizhzhia and Ternopil.

The backdrop to this peace initiative is a grim reality on the ground: Russian troops continue to make slow advances, now controlling approximately 19-20 percent of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine is also grappling with a severe manpower crisis, including record desertions, and a corruption scandal impacting its energy sector, which has diverted attention from the war efforts. These internal challenges, coupled with Russia's tactics of pummeling energy infrastructure, may further weaken Ukraine's negotiating position, making the acceptance of difficult concessions a critical and contentious point in efforts to end the conflict.