Trump administration releases 28-point plan to end Russia-Ukraine war
Trump administration announces 28-point interim peace plan for Russia and Ukraine with territorial concessions and NATO restrictions
Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials met in Geneva on Nov. 23 to discuss a draft plan presented by the U.S. government to end the war in Ukraine, after Kiev and its allies expressed alarm at what they saw as major concessions to Russia’s aggressor.
President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has until November 27 to approve a 28-point plan calling for Ukraine to cede territory, accept military restrictions and abandon its ambitions to join NATO.
For many Ukrainians, including soldiers on the front lines, such terms would amount to surrender after nearly four years of fighting in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. On Nov. 22, President Trump said the current proposal to end the war is not the final one.
Since the plan was announced, there has been considerable confusion about who was involved in its development. European allies said they had not been consulted.
Before heading to Geneva, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in a post on X that the plan was created by Washington. He posted the remarks after Republican Sen. Mike Rounds said Rubio called him and other senators and explained that the offer was received by the United States and passed on to Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the X program that Ukraine’s allies are ready to work on the plan, but before doing so “it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where it was created.”
Government officials arrive in Geneva
President Zelenskiy welcomed the diplomatic efforts in Geneva and said he hoped they would lead to results.
“The bloodshed must be stopped and the war must never be reignited,” he told X.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine on November 24 and share the results with Western leaders and allies.
Dangerous moment for Ukraine
The draft plan contains many of Russia’s key demands, offers Ukraine only vague guarantees of “robust security,” and comes at a dangerous time for the country.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on November 23 that Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed by force, that the military cannot be left vulnerable to attack, and that the European Union must play a central role in any Ukraine peace agreement.
Russia has continued to make slow advances along the front in eastern and southern Ukraine, advances that Western and Ukrainian officials say have been extremely costly in terms of loss of life.
The transport hub of Pokrovsk is partially occupied by Russian forces, and Ukrainian military commanders say they do not have enough soldiers to fend off a small and persistent invasion.
Ukraine’s power and gas facilities have been hit by drone and missile attacks, leaving millions of people without running water, heat or electricity for hours each day.
President Zelenskiy himself has been under pressure domestically since a major corruption scandal broke, involving his ministers and some of his top aides.
Kiev has braced itself in recent weeks after the United States tightened sanctions on Russia’s oil sector, a major source of funding for the war, while its own long-range drone and missile attacks inflicted heavy damage on the industry.
However, the draft peace plan has caused major concerns as it appears to return diplomatic advantages to Moscow. Ukraine relies heavily on U.S. intelligence and weapons to sustain its war against Russia.
Europe drafts plan based on US proposal
On November 23, just as negotiations were about to begin, a convoy of diplomatic vehicles traveled to and from Geneva.
US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll is also in Geneva for talks, and the Ukrainian delegation is led by Andriy Yermak, head of President Zelensky’s office.
Ermak said his delegation will meet with the national security advisers of Britain, France and Germany, and then consult with the United States.
European and other Western leaders said the U.S. peace plan lays the foundation for talks to end the war, but that “additional work” is needed. German government officials said a European peace plan based on the U.S. proposal had been sent to Ukraine and the U.S. administration.
President Zelensky warned that the plan risked causing Ukraine to lose its dignity and freedom, or the support of the U.S. government.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the plan as a cornerstone of conflict resolution, but the Kremlin may object to some of the plan’s proposals, which call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from some occupied areas.
(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Julia Payne in Johannesburg, Anastasia Malenko and Pavel Polychuk in Kiev; Jan Strupshevsky, Timothy Gardner and Ismail Shakil in Brussels; Writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Toby Chopra, Elaine Hardcastle and William McLean)
