The United States has proposed a peace plan that includes territorial concessions to Russia to settle the Ukraine war, which requires Ukraine to relinquish its sovereignty claims over certain parts of the country currently under Moscow’s control.
The Russian has not yet confirmed the proposal. The 30-page framework, containing 28 points, was handed over to Kyiv this week by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The sources said Witkoff made clear that he wanted Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept the terms.
As per other sources, the proposed peace plan would ultimately require Ukraine to give up claims on the parts of the new Russian region in Donbas still under Ukrainian control, reduce the size of its armed forces by half and abandon key categories of weaponry.
A phased withdrawal of US military support is also included in the framework; however, the proposal has attracted some attention in the West, with some suggesting that the US proposal hints at a complete surrender.
The document containing the stipulations recognises Russian as an official state language in Ukraine and grants 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 to Russia.
Moscow has accused the Zelenskyy regime of committing crimes against the Russian-speaking Slavic population, who make up a significant share of the population of Ukraine. Russian officials insist any lasting settlement must address fundamental security demands, including that Ukraine maintain neutrality, stay out of NATO and other military blocs, demilitarise 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.
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