Donald Trump has indicated to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he must accept a peace agreement with Russia that would require Ukraine to surrender territory, according to recent reports.
The proposed terms would require Ukraine to give up its portion of the eastern Donbas region and reduce its military forces by 50 percent. Additionally, Ukraine would need to give up certain weapons systems while the United States would reduce its military support, and Russian would gain recognition as an official state language with the Russian Orthodox Church receiving official status.
According to anonymous sources speaking with Reuters, Washington is pressing Kyiv to agree to these fundamental elements.
A Difficult Position for Ukraine
The proposal represents a significant blow to Kyiv as it continues to face Russian advances in eastern regions while dealing with domestic political turmoil, including the recent dismissal of energy and justice ministers over corruption allegations.
Reports suggest that the US and Russia have been quietly negotiating a comprehensive 28-point peace framework to resolve the conflict, modeled after the Gaza agreement, though Ukraine was not involved in drafting these proposals.
The framework, inspired by Trump’s Gaza ceasefire approach, would address peace in Ukraine, security assurances, European security concerns, and future American relations with both Russia and Ukraine, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff spearheading the effort and coordinating extensively with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Witkoff has reportedly made clear to Zelensky that acceptance is expected, even though the proposal violates several of Ukraine’s non-negotiable positions.
International Reactions and Next Steps
When questioned about these reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday that there were no new developments to share regarding potential peace proposals since the Trump-Putin Alaska summit in August.
A senior Ukrainian official confirmed to Reuters that Kyiv had received indications about US proposals that Washington has discussed with Russia, though Ukraine played no part in their creation.
Putin outlined his primary demands in June 2024, insisting that Ukraine abandon NATO membership aspirations and withdraw from four provinces that Moscow claims, conditions that Ukraine has rejected and that Moscow has not modified.
Ukrainian government bond prices experienced their largest increase in months on Wednesday following indications of renewed American efforts to end the conflict.
Direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow have not occurred since an Istanbul meeting in July, while Russian military operations continue in the nearly four-year war, with overnight strikes claiming 25 lives.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue
Zelensky is scheduled to meet with officials in Turkey on Wednesday and US Army representatives in Kyiv on Thursday as part of renewed efforts to restart peace negotiations with Russia.
The Ukrainian President announced on Tuesday his intention to revitalize negotiations and will consult with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on achieving a just peace, stating that ending the war is Ukraine’s highest priority.
Turkey, a NATO member maintaining relationships with both parties, hosted initial peace discussions in early 2022, which remained the only such talks until Trump’s recent initiative to halt the fighting.
Trump’s previous mediation attempts have not succeeded, with a planned Putin summit in Budapest being abruptly canceled last month, while Russian forces maintain control over approximately 19 percent of Ukrainian territory and continue advancing and targeting Ukrainian energy facilities as winter approaches.
