U.S. Proposes New Peace Deal to End the Ukraine War: What We Know

Washington presents a controversial proposal requiring Kyiv to cede territory and cut military forces to satisfy Moscow’s demands.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets U.S. army leaders in Kyiv on Thursday. They will discuss a plan from Washington to end the war. This proposal offers terms that seem favorable to Moscow. The U.S. Peace Plan Ukraine suggests Kyiv should give up land to Russia. It also limits Ukraine’s military capacity. Kyiv has previously rejected these concessions as an unacceptable capitulation. Moscow started its full-scale invasion almost four years ago.

Territory

A senior source shared details with AFP. The plan asks Ukraine to accept some of Russia’s key demands. However, it remains “unclear” what Russia promises in return. regarding land, the plan demands the “recognition of Crimea and other regions that the Russians have taken.” Russia currently occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine. Years of fighting have destroyed much of this area.

Annexed Regions

In 2022, the Kremlin annexed four regions. These are Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Russia did not fully control them then. Russia also annexed Crimea in 2014. Vladimir Putin previously demanded Ukraine leave Donetsk and Luhansk completely. He offered to freeze the front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. This was according to Turkey’s foreign minister during earlier talks. Ukraine refuses to recognize Russian control over its land. However, it might seek recovery through diplomatic means. Losing Donetsk and Luhansk could leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks. Zelensky said recently, “It is a matter of our country’s survival.”

Army and weapons

The U.S. Peace Plan Ukraine requires limiting the army to 400,000 personnel. This cuts the military by more than half. Kyiv must also give up long-range weapons. This matches demands Moscow made in Istanbul talks earlier this year. Moscow wanted fewer troops and no Western weapons. Russia also says it will not tolerate NATO troops there. Conversely, Ukraine wants Western security guarantees. They want a European peacekeeping force to prevent future invasions.

Whose plan?

Axios reported the Trump administration created this plan. They did so in secret consultation with Russia. Many parts echo Moscow’s demands. The source told AFP, “It seems that the Russians proposed this to the Americans, they accepted it.” They added, “An important nuance is that we don’t understand whether this is really Trump’s story” or his team’s. President Trump’s stance has shifted often in 2025. He once called Zelensky a “dictator.” Later, he urged Kyiv to reclaim land and sanctioned Moscow.

Reactions

Kyiv has not officially reacted yet. The Kremlin declined to comment on the reports. EU diplomat Kaja Kallas says peace needs agreement from Kyiv and Brussels. She said, “For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board.” She noted there is one aggressor and one victim. Kallas added, “So we haven’t heard of any concessions on the Russian side.”