A new White House proposal outlining how to end the war in Ukraine has emerged, featuring terms widely viewed as unfavorable to Kyiv and its European allies.
The draft plan, which President Donald Trump has reviewed and endorsed, would require Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, accept U.S. “de facto” recognition of Crimea and other regions seized by Moscow, and agree to significant reductions in its military capacity. Many of the ideas included have previously been rejected by both Ukrainian and European negotiators and are considered major concessions to the Kremlin. U.S. officials stress that the proposal is still evolving and that any final deal would require compromises from both sides. The White House press secretary confirmed Thursday afternoon that the plan remains “in flux.”
According to the 28-point draft, the U.S. would recognize Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk “as de facto Russian.” For the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, existing front lines would become the effective borders—amounting to de facto recognition of Russian control along those lines. In return, Russia would withdraw from other territories it currently occupies outside the five designated regions.
One of the most contentious elements requires Ukrainian forces to pull out of the parts of Donetsk still under Kyiv’s control. This vacated area would become a neutral, demilitarized buffer zone recognized internationally as belonging to the Russian Federation. Both countries would agree not to alter these territorial arrangements by force.
The plan also stipulates that Ukraine will not join NATO, prohibits NATO troop deployments inside Ukraine, and calls for European fighter jets to be based in Poland. It caps Ukraine’s armed forces at 600,000 personnel and requires national elections within 100 days.
Implementation would be overseen by a “Peace Council” chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with penalties for violations. While the document references security guarantees for Ukraine, it provides few specifics, though it notes the U.S. would be compensated for offering such guarantees.
The proposal contains punitive measures for both sides: if Russia mounts another invasion, global sanctions would be reinstated and territorial recognitions reversed; if Ukraine launches an unprovoked missile strike on Moscow or St. Petersburg, its security guarantee would be void.
The plan also envisions Russia’s reintegration into the international community, including the lifting of sanctions and an invitation to rejoin the G8. It proposes full amnesty for all parties for wartime actions and bars future legal claims—an approach that clashes with the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Other provisions include the return of all civilian detainees, hostages, and abducted children, along with a full exchange of prisoners of war and remains.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled willingness to work with the U.S. on the plan after meeting a senior American military official in Kyiv, saying he was ready for “constructive, honest, and swift work.” However, a Russian journalist reported that Kremlin officials claimed they had not yet been notified of Zelensky’s readiness to discuss the proposal.
European and Ukrainian officials have criticized the draft, noting that it mirrors many of Moscow’s long-standing maximalist demands. One European diplomat likened the process to “Groundhog Day,” calling the territorial concessions impossible to accept and warning that agreeing to them would be “political suicide” for any Ukrainian leader. They emphasized that any viable peace plan must fully involve both Ukrainians and Europeans.
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