• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office confirms receipt of a U.S.-drafted peace plan developed in secret with Russian officials.
  • The proposal requires significant Ukrainian concessions, including ceding all of Donbas, halving its military, and suspending NATO aspirations.
  • European partners were excluded from the drafting process, raising concerns about Western alliance unity and the plan's viability.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office confirmed on Tuesday that it has received a draft peace plan from the United States, a document developed largely in secret between U.S. and Russian officials and presented to Kyiv by senior American envoys. The proposal reportedly mirrors several of Moscow's core demands, marking a significant shift in the Western approach to ending the conflict.

According to people familiar with the matter, the plan was crafted primarily through direct engagement between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian economic negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, with Ukrainian and European officials notably excluded from the drafting process. This backchannel approach has already created diplomatic friction within the Western alliance.

The proposed terms would require Ukraine to cede all of the Donbas region, including territories currently under Ukrainian control, and accept substantial military restrictions including halving the size of its armed forces and limiting specific weapon systems. In a controversial economic arrangement, Russia would pay a "rental fee" for control over Donbas while Ukraine would retain nominal legal ownership.

Ukrainian officials have reacted with strong opposition to the draft, with multiple lawmakers privately comparing it to the 1938 Munich Agreement. "This isn't a peace plan—it's a blueprint for capitulation," said one senior Ukrainian official who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. "The terms fundamentally undermine our sovereignty and security."

The proposal also includes demands for official recognition of the Russian language, lifting restrictions on the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, and suspending NATO membership aspirations for several years. In return, Russia would pledge not to invade again, with security guarantees theoretically codified in Russian law—a provision European officials view with deep skepticism given President Putin's record of constitutional manipulations.

U.S. policymakers appear motivated by a desire to rapidly conclude the conflict and reduce American commitments, though the exclusion of European partners from negotiations has raised alarm in capitals across the continent. The initiative comes as Ukraine faces battlefield setbacks and domestic political challenges that have weakened its bargaining position.

Ukrainian officials have not formally rejected the proposal but have characterized it as unacceptable in its current form. The plan has sparked intense debate within Zelenskyy's administration about whether to engage with what many consider a fundamentally flawed framework or risk appearing unwilling to negotiate.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the name of the U.S. envoy. He is Steve Witkoff, not Steve Witcoff.