Trump Ukraine Peace Plan Would Cede Territory to Russia: Draft...

President Donald Trump’s draft plan to end the war in Ukraine would require Kyiv to surrender territory to Russia and accept strict limits on the size of its military, according to a proposal obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. Why It Matters If implemented, the plan would reshape Europe’s security landscape by forcing major concessions from Ukraine and its Western allies. What To Know The document reflects weeks of quiet negotiations involving U.S. and Russian officials and was discussed Thursday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a U.S. representative, underscoring the administration’s stepped-up push for a settlement as the conflict nears its fourth year. Most notably, the draft would bar Ukraine from joining NATO and halt any future expansion of the alliance—long a central demand of Moscow, which views NATO as a threat to its influence and territorial security. In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, talk with U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) The proposal would also award Russia full control of the eastern Donbas region, including the roughly 14% of the area that remains under Ukrainian control, handing President Vladimir Putin territorial gains he has failed to secure through military force. The draft outlines incentives for Russia as well. It would establish a pathway for lifting U.S. and European sanctions and restore Moscow’s membership in what was formerly the Group of 8, returning the country to a forum of the world’s largest economies. In exchange, Russia would pledge not to launch future attacks on Ukraine—an assurance the White House is portraying as a meaningful concession. The plan also calls for dedicating $100 billion in frozen Russian assets toward reconstruction in Ukraine. Still, the proposal faces major political and legal obstacles. Ceding territory is not only deeply unpopular among Ukrainians but is explicitly prohibited under Ukraine’s constitution. Zelensky has repeatedly said he will not agree to give up land seized by Russian forces, insisting that any peace settlement must preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The European Union’s top diplomat has warned Trump that Europe and Ukraine need to support a peace deal with Russia for it to work. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff have been assembling the plan for a month, drawing input from Ukrainian and Russian officials, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, a close adviser to Putin, have played central roles in drafting the proposal. The war in Ukraine has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides and thousands of civilians, according to U.N. and independent estimates, though the true toll is believed to be far higher in areas under Russian occupation or active bombardment. Entire cities—including Mariupol, Bakhmut and parts of Kharkiv and Donetsk—have been reduced to rubble, with neighborhoods flattened by artillery, missile strikes and drone attacks. The conflict has also triggered one of the largest displacement crises in Europe since World War II, forcing more than 10 million people from their homes at its peak and leaving critical infrastructure, from power plants to hospitals, in ruins. Humanitarian agencies say millions remain in need of food, heat and medical care as the fighting grinds on with no clear end in sight. What People Are Saying In a statement to Newsweek on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Trump “has grown frustrated with both sides for their refusal to commit to a peace agreement.” “Nevertheless, the President and his team never gives up, and the United States has been working on a detailed and acceptable plan for both sides to stop the killing and create a durable, lasting peace,” the statement added. Olena Halushka, co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory, told Newsweek on Thursday that everything included in this proposal “is either aiming at strengthening Russia’s battlefield position or sowing internal tensions inside Ukraine. No one wants peace more than Ukrainians, but we want a real and lasting peace and what is offered is nothing about peace.” Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said in Brussels on Thursday: “What we as Europeans have always supported is a long-lasting and just peace, and we welcome any efforts to achieve that. Of course, for any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board. So, this is very clear.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X on Wednesday: “Ending a complex and deadly war such as the one in Ukraine requires an extensive exchange of serious and realist...