US Peace Plan for Ukraine Mirrors Russian Demands: Territorial Concessions and Military Reductions Proposed

Kyiv remains silent as the United States presents a controversial peace proposal for Ukraine.

The United States has unveiled a strategic plan aimed at resolving the Ukraine-Russia conflict, presenting Kyiv with a series of potential concessions that notably mirror many of Moscow's primary demands.

Here's what this proposal entails:

Regarding territorial matters, according to information shared with AFP by a senior source familiar with the negotiations, the plan appears to push Ukraine toward accepting several of Russia's core demands, including concessions that Kyiv has previously described as equivalent to surrender.

Significantly, the source indicated it remains "unclear" what reciprocal commitments Russia would be expected to make.

The territorial aspects of the plan call for "recognition of Crimea and other regions that the Russians have taken," according to the source. Currently, Russian forces occupy approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, much of which has been devastated by prolonged combat.

In 2022, the Kremlin formally annexed four Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—despite not having complete control over these territories. Russia had previously annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently demanded Ukraine's complete military withdrawal from Donetsk and Lugansk, while proposing to freeze the front line in southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, according to Turkey's foreign minister, who mediated several rounds of peace discussions earlier this year.

Ukraine has maintained it will never acknowledge Russian sovereignty over its territories, though it has acknowledged it might ultimately need to pursue diplomatic means for recovery. Surrendering territory in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions still under Ukrainian control could leave the country vulnerable to future Russian aggression.

President Zelensky has emphasized, "It is a matter of our country's survival."

Concerning military provisions, the proposal requires Ukraine to reduce its armed forces to 400,000 personnel—cutting its military by more than half—and relinquish all long-range weaponry.

These stipulations align with previous Russian demands presented during Istanbul negotiations earlier this year, when Moscow sought troop reductions, prohibition of mobilization, and termination of Western weapons transfers.

Russia has consistently stated it will not accept any NATO military presence on Ukrainian soil.

In contrast, Ukraine seeks concrete Western-backed security guarantees, including a European peacekeeping force, to prevent future Russian invasion attempts.

Regarding the plan's origins, US media outlet Axios reported it was developed by the Trump administration through confidential consultations with Russia.

Many elements appear to closely reflect Moscow's vision for conflict resolution.

"It seems that the Russians proposed this to the Americans, they accepted it," the senior source told AFP.

"An important nuance is that we don't understand whether this is really Trump's story" or "his entourage's," the official added.

Since returning to office, President Donald Trump's position on the Ukraine conflict has fluctuated dramatically.

Throughout 2025, he has shifted from labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" to encouraging Kyiv to reclaim all Russian-occupied territories and imposing sanctions on Moscow.

The source noted it remains "unclear" what commitments or concessions Russia would offer in return.

Kyiv has not issued any official response to the proposal. When questioned about the reports, the Kremlin declined to comment.

The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, emphasized that any peace settlement requires agreement from both Kyiv and Brussels.

"For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board," Kallas told reporters before an EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

"We have to understand that in this war, there is one aggressor and one victim. So we haven't heard of any concessions on the Russian side," she added.