Ukraine has reiterated that it will never recognise Russian control over its territories, even as reports emerge that the United States has presented Kyiv with a plan suggesting sweeping concessions to potentially end the ongoing war. According to a senior source familiar with the discussions, the proposed framework appears to closely reflect Russia’s long-standing demands.
Territorial Concessions at the Center of the Plan
The details shared with AFP indicate that Ukraine is being asked to make significant territorial concessions — including acknowledging Russian control over Crimea and other regions currently occupied by Russian forces. The source noted that while Ukraine is being pushed toward compromises it has previously rejected as “capitulation,” it remains unclear what Russia would offer in return.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, much of which has been devastated by nearly three years of conflict. In 2022, Moscow unilaterally annexed Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, despite lacking full control over these regions, and it annexed Crimea in 2014.
Turkey’s foreign minister, who mediated earlier rounds of peace talks, has said Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded Kyiv withdraw all troops from Donetsk and Lugansk, while agreeing to freeze battle lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Ukraine has remained firm: it will never accept Russia’s annexations, though President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that some territories might eventually be regained through diplomatic rather than military means.
Zelensky recently stressed the stakes:
“It is a matter of our country’s survival.”
A Dramatic Reduction of Ukraine’s Armed Forces
According to the same source, the US plan also calls for Ukraine to cut its military to 400,000 personnel — more than a 50% reduction — and surrender all long-range weapons. These conditions resemble Russia’s demands during earlier talks in Istanbul, where Moscow insisted on banning troop mobilisation and stopping the flow of Western arms into Ukraine.
Russia has repeatedly stated it will not permit any NATO presence on Ukrainian territory. Ukraine, on the other hand, is seeking robust Western-backed security guarantees, including the deployment of a European peacekeeping force to deter future invasions.
Who Is Behind the Plan?
Axios first reported that the proposal was drafted by the Trump administration in secret consultations with Russia. The senior source told AFP that many elements match Moscow’s preferred terms for ending the war.
“It seems the Russians proposed this to the Americans — and they accepted it,” the source claimed, adding uncertainty about whether the plan reflects President Donald Trump’s own views or those of his inner circle.
Since returning to office, Trump’s stance on the Ukraine conflict has shifted dramatically — at times criticising Ukraine’s leadership, then urging Kyiv to reclaim occupied land, while also imposing sanctions on Moscow.
The source emphasised that the plan fails to clarify what commitments Russia would make, suggesting the proposal may be one-sided.
Reactions So Far
Official reactions from Kyiv have not yet been issued, while the Kremlin declined to comment when asked about the reported plan.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, insisted that no peace proposal can move forward without the full agreement of both Ukraine and Europe.
“For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board,” Kallas said in Brussels.
She also stressed the fundamental reality of the conflict:
“There is one aggressor and one victim. We have not heard of any concessions on the Russian side.”