Ukraine announces that it has received the peace plan negotiated by the US with Russia: “It can reinvigorate diplomacy.” Zelenskiy will discuss the proposals with Trump

The presidency of Ukraine announced on Thursday that it received a draft plan from the US to end the war with Russia and stated that it is ready to cooperate constructively with Washington on this issue, AFP and Reuters agencies report, according to Agerpres.

Two sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Washington told Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine “must” accept the US-drafted framework for ending the fourth-year war, a plan that calls for territorial concessions and limitations on Ukrainian armed forces.

“The Ukrainian president has officially received a draft plan from the US which, according to the US assessment, could reinvigorate diplomacy,” the Kyiv presidency wrote on Telegram, adding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to discuss this plan with his US counterpart Donald Trump “in the coming days”.

“We are ready now, as before, to collaborate constructively with the American side, as well as with our partners in Europe and the world so that the result is peace,” the same message reads.

What the plan negotiated in secret between the US and Russia provides

This plan, the existence of which was initially revealed by the American publication Axios, has 28 points and was developed following Russian-American consultations, in particular between the special envoy of the US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, and the special economic envoy of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kirill Dmitriev, without the European supporters of Ukraine being informed, and some European politicians compare the proposals that appeared in the press with a request for the surrender of Kiev.

According to anonymous sources, the plan would provide for Ukraine to completely cede the Donbas region to Russia, as well as to recognize the annexation of Crimea and other Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia. Ukraine would also be required to limit its armed forces to no more than 400,000 troops and give up all long-range weapons.

According to sources cited by The Telegraph on Thursday, the plan also includes a provision whereby Moscow would gain control of eastern Donbas in exchange for the payment of a “rent fee”.

In exchange, Russia would return to Ukraine portions of the occupied territories in Zaporozhye and Kherson provinces, would accept that Ukraine receive Western security guarantees, but without joining NATO and without the presence of foreign troops, and the Donbas territories ceded to Russia would become demilitarized zones.

The White House has not commented on the plan described by Axios. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on Platform X that Washington would “continue to develop a list of possible ideas to end this war, based on contributions from both sides of the conflict,” but “achieving a lasting peace will require both sides to accept difficult but necessary concessions,” Rubio said.

A US military delegation led by Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Randy George is in Kiev for a meeting Thursday night with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose position has been weakened by a corruption scandal involving his cronies, while on the front line the situation of the Ukrainian military worsens.

The American delegation already met with the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Sîski, who asked for help to defend Ukraine's airspace, to expand strike capabilities deep into Russian territory, and to stabilize the front line.

“Peace cannot be surrender”

EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, did not comment in detail on the US plan, which has not been made public, but indicated that they would not accept that Kiev be forced into punitive concessions.

“Ukrainians want peace, a just peace that respects the sovereignty of all, a lasting peace that cannot be challenged by future aggression,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. “But peace cannot be surrender.”

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said US special envoy Steve Witkoff stressed in a phone call Thursday “the importance of close coordination with Germany and our European partners” in talks to end the war.

The White House did not comment on the reported proposals. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X that Washington “will continue to develop a list of possible ideas for ending this war, based on input from both sides in the conflict.”

“Achieving a lasting peace will require both sides to make difficult but necessary concessions,” Rubio said.