Trump plan to end Ukraine war would cede territory to Russia | AP News
President Donald Trump’s draft peace proposal for Ukraine would give land to Russia and set limits on the size of Ukraine’s military. The Associated Press obtained the draft on Thursday. The idea came from direct talks between Washington and Moscow. Russia began the conflict nearly four years ago when its military invaded Ukraine. The proposal looks favorable to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has refused similar requests from Trump in the past and strongly opposed land concessions.
A related agreement tries to address Ukraine’s concern about future Russian attacks. It states that a large and deliberate strike from Russia would be viewed as a threat to peace and security in the transatlantic region. A senior U.S. official described the terms but did not speak publicly. The document says the United States and European partners would decide how to respond to a new attack, but nothing requires military action.
Trump’s new approach could cause friction between his administration and European leaders. Many European officials have warned against giving Russian President Vladimir Putin territory that he has not won through combat. They believe that such a move could motivate future aggression.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff worked quietly on the plan for a month. They spoke with Ukrainian and Russian representatives to understand what each side could accept.
One key condition forbids Ukraine from joining NATO in the future. It also blocks the expansion of the alliance. This would be seen in Moscow as a major strategic gain. The proposal gives Russia full control of the eastern Donbas region. Although Russia occupies much of it, Ukraine still holds about 14 percent. Ukraine’s army, currently about 880,000 troops, would drop to 600,000.
The draft opens the possibility of lifting sanctions on Russia and returning it to the Group of Eight. The group suspended Russia in 2014 after it seized Crimea. The Trump draft also dedicates $100 billion in frozen Russian funds to rebuilding Ukraine. Russia would also keep half of the output from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which it seized early in the war.
A “Peace Council” run by Trump would oversee compliance. If either country broke the truce, it would face sanctions. Trump borrowed this idea from his lengthy proposal to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Not everyone supports the idea. U.S. Representative Don Bacon from Nebraska called the proposal unacceptable. He compared it to the Munich Agreement of 1938, which sought peace with Nazi Germany but is widely seen as a failed attempt that led to greater war.
The Biden administration says that work on the plan began after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff spoke with Rustem Umerov, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy. Umerov agreed to most of the proposal after requesting changes and then presented it to Zelenskyy. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll also discussed the latest draft with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Zelenskyy posted a response on social media. He said that Ukrainian and U.S. officials would work on the terms but did not offer details.
Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg will leave his position in January. Witkoff has become the key link between Trump and Putin’s advisers. Reports of the draft alarmed European diplomats. Many senior officials in Europe said that Ukraine and Europe must be involved in any deal.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that no agreement can work without European and Ukrainian support. She argued that the current draft gives Moscow too much. German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul said he spoke with counterparts in Turkey and the United States to discuss ways to stop the fighting.
Ukraine’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, told the Security Council that Ukraine received the document. She said Kyiv is ready to discuss it but stressed two firm rules. Ukraine would not recognize Russian control of its land. Ukraine also would not accept restrictions on its armed forces or limits on its right to choose military alliances. Trump has tried to end the conflict several times. A summer summit in Alaska with Putin did not produce results. Plans for a later meeting in Budapest were canceled. Trump said he expected to solve the Ukraine issue quickly because he had a good relationship with Putin. He later said that he was disappointed with the Russian president.
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