Trump Peace Plan Would Cede Ukraine Land to Russia/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A leaked Trump peace plan proposes Ukraine cede territory to Russia, significantly limiting Kyiv’s military strength. The draft includes no NATO expansion and offers partial sanction relief for Moscow. European leaders and Ukrainian officials express concern over concessions favoring Putin.
Ukraine Peace Plan Draft + Quick Looks
- Trump’s proposed Ukraine peace deal would cede land to Russia.
- Ukraine’s military would be cut from 880,000 to 600,000 troops.
- The draft restricts NATO expansion and limits Kyiv’s sovereignty.
- Russia would regain access to G8 and partial nuclear energy rights.
- $100 billion in frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine.
- European leaders oppose the proposal’s pro-Russia provisions.
- Ukraine affirms its refusal to give up any sovereign territory.
- Trump would oversee a proposed “Peace Council” to enforce truce.
Trump Peace Plan Would Cede Ukraine Land to Russia
Deep Look
In a controversial draft peace plan obtained by the Associated Press, President Donald Trump proposes terms for ending the ongoing war in Ukraine that would require Kyiv to surrender territory to Russia and significantly reduce its military capacity. The proposal, which emerges from backchannel negotiations involving U.S. and Russian officials, is likely to spark international debate and strong opposition from Ukraine and its allies in Europe.
The draft plan strongly favors Russian interests, proposing that Ukraine relinquish control of the entire eastern Donbas region—even areas still under Ukrainian command. Moreover, Ukraine’s armed forces would be scaled back from approximately 880,000 to 600,000 troops under the proposed conditions.
While the document offers Ukraine a degree of future protection by labeling any renewed Russian aggression as a threat to transatlantic security, it stops short of mandating military intervention from the U.S. or its allies. Instead, it vaguely asserts that Western nations “would determine the measures necessary to restore security” without committing to any specific actions.
One of the most contentious aspects of the plan is its explicit prohibition on Ukraine joining NATO, alongside a broader halt to future NATO expansion. This provision would hand Russia a long-sought strategic victory, effectively confirming Moscow’s influence over Kyiv’s foreign policy decisions.
The proposal also suggests lifting sanctions against Russia and potentially restoring its membership in what was once the G8, a global economic group that excluded Russia following its 2014 annexation of Crimea.
U.S. efforts to draft the proposal were led by special envoy Steve Witkoff, with significant input from Ukrainian official Rustem Umerov. According to sources within the U.S. administration, Umerov accepted many of the plan’s provisions after making modifications and subsequently presented it to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll later reviewed the latest draft with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy responded cautiously on social media, stating that Ukraine and the U.S. would work together on the peace proposal but refrained from commenting on any of the specific terms. This careful tone likely reflects the immense political and constitutional difficulties Ukraine would face in ceding any territory to Russia, a position Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected.
One of the side agreements in the draft would allow Russia to retain 50% control over energy produced by the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and a crucial facility seized by Russian forces earlier in the conflict.
The enforcement of the truce would fall under a newly proposed “Peace Council,” a concept inspired by Trump’s prior plans for resolving conflict between Israel and Hamas. If either nation violates the truce, sanctions would be re-imposed, according to the draft.
The plan is already generating backlash from both sides of the Atlantic. Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska compared the deal to the infamous 1938 Munich Agreement, which failed to prevent further aggression by Nazi Germany. Many European diplomats are expressing frustration over being left out of the negotiation process. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that any effective peace deal must include both European and Ukrainian approval, suggesting the current draft concedes too much to Moscow.
German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul emphasized the need for broader consultation after speaking with both U.S. and Turkish officials. Ukraine’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador Khrystyna Hayovyshyn reiterated Ukraine’s red lines, firmly rejecting the idea of recognizing any Russian occupation of Ukrainian territory and insisting on Kyiv’s sovereign right to choose its military alliances.
Despite earlier failed attempts at negotiation, including a fruitless summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska, the former president remains intent on concluding what he once considered a straightforward diplomatic success. However, Trump recently expressed disappointment with Putin’s current posture, acknowledging complications in the negotiation process.
While some observers may view the proposal as a diplomatic starting point, the deep concessions to Moscow and lack of clear enforcement mechanisms suggest it may be politically unviable. As it stands, the plan risks isolating Ukraine and fracturing international unity against Russian aggression.
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