WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine would include ceding territory to Russia and limiting the size of Kyiv's military, according to a draft proposal obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
Washington and Moscow worked together on the project, which Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky discussed with a US representative on Thursday. If passed, it would resolve a conflict that began nearly four years ago, requiring significant concessions from Kyiv and European leaders.
For example, this proposal would not only bar Ukraine from joining NATO, but would also prevent future expansion of the alliance. Such a move would be a significant victory for Moscow, which views NATO as a threat.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will also achieve the success he could not achieve on the battlefield. According to the draft, Moscow would hold the entire eastern Donbass region, although approximately 14% would still remain in Ukrainian hands.
There will be an opportunity to lift sanctions on Russia and return the country to the group formerly known as the G8, which includes many of the world's largest economies.
Russia will commit to not launching future attacks, and the White House views this as a concession. In addition, $100 billion of frozen Russian assets will be used to rebuild Ukraine.
However, transferring the territory to Russia would be extremely unpopular in Ukraine. This would also be illegal under the Ukrainian constitution. Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out this possibility.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff worked quietly on the peace plan for a month, receiving proposals from both the Ukrainians and Russians on terms acceptable to each side, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said Thursday. Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Putin, played key roles in developing the proposal.
In other developments, Russia's chief military officer, General Valery Gerasimov, announced that Moscow's forces had taken full control of Kupyansk in the Kharkov region of Ukraine, although he also said that some Ukrainian troops remained in the city.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces denied Gerasimov's claims and stated that Kyiv forces continue to control Kupyansk.
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Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press journalists Sam McNeil in Brussels, Samya Kullab in Kyiv and Katie Marie Davis in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.
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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
