Kyiv: Ukraine has acknowledged that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold talks with Donald Trump regarding a draft peace plan drawn up by US and Russian officials that has required Kyiv to consider substantial concessions.
Zelenskyy’s office has stated that discussions with Trump will focus on available diplomatic opportunities and essential steps for achieving a settlement.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy has emphasised that Ukraine will not undermine any diplomatic process. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs peace and will avoid statements that disrupt negotiations, stressing the importance of stable support for defence operations and planned deep-strike capabilities.
The cautious tone from Ukraine’s presidential administration has followed strong criticism from some Ukrainian officials who have described the proposal as unacceptable. Reports have indicated that the 28-point plan closely resembles demands made by Moscow early in the full-scale invasion. Kyiv was not consulted on the draft, and a European diplomat has said that they learned about the proposal only through news reports.
The proposal has suggested that Kyiv relinquish Crimea and the Donbas region and accept a freeze of frontlines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia along current positions. Ukraine would limit its armed forces to 600,000 personnel, reducing troop numbers by hundreds of thousands. European fighter jets would be stationed in Poland for protection, but no NATO forces would operate from Ukrainian territory, and Kyiv would commit never to join NATO.
Further conditions in the document have included the prohibition of foreign troops inside Ukraine, ruling out a European-led peacekeeping mission. The United States would offer unspecified security guarantees. In addition, $100 billion (approximately £80bn) in frozen Russian assets would be allocated to rebuilding Ukraine, and Russia would be offered a pathway back into the global economy alongside future sanctions relief.
Ukrainian officials have said that the proposal would effectively undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty. The developments have emerged as Trump’s administration continues efforts to broker a settlement, although the process has faced delays since Trump met Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this year.
Zelenskyy has held talks with a high-level US delegation led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has delivered messages from Washington. Driscoll may travel to Moscow next week to discuss the plan. A US official has said that the administration aims to pursue negotiations at a rapid pace.
Western diplomats have noted that Russia may be attempting to exploit Ukraine’s domestic political challenges. European leaders meeting in Brussels have said that they were not briefed in advance. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stressed that any successful plan must involve Ukrainians and Europeans and must recognise Russia as the aggressor.
The UK government has stated support for ending the war but has reiterated that only the Ukrainian people can determine their future. Russian strikes have continued across western Ukraine, with attacks in Ternopil leaving 26 people dead, including children, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian toll.
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