US President Donald Trump has covertly supported a comprehensive 28 point peace plan intended to put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This plan would compel Kyiv to give in to important demands that are mostly supported by Moscow and in its favor.
US and Russian officials worked together to develop the framework, which Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff sent to Kyiv this week.
The story claims that Witkoff met with Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukrainian national security, in Miami and made it plain that the White House wanted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept the terms, even though Ukraine had long rejected several of them.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and a close supporter of President Vladimir Putin, helped formulate the idea.
While Kyiv saw it as extremely unbalanced, some process participants described it as an attempt by the Trump administration to "show progress" on diplomacy. Accepting the requirements, would mean Ukraine ceding its sovereignty.
The idea would compel Ukraine to cede the remaining portion of the eastern Donbas region, including land it now controls. Along with a reduction in US military aid that has been vital to Ukraine's defense, the plan also calls for a half of Ukraine's military might and the abandoning of important equipment categories.
Foreign troops would not be allowed on Ukrainian territory, and Western long range weapons that might penetrate deep into Russia would no longer be supplied to Kyiv.
Additional stipulations would include acknowledging the local branch of the Russian Orthodox Church and establishing Russian official language status in Ukraine, two long standing Kremlin goals. The paper is "heavily tilted towards Russia," it would be "very comfortable for Putin."
The proposal closely resembled Russia's most maximalist demands, and would be a "non starter" without major changes. According to Ukrainian insiders familiar with the provisions, the draft risked leaving Ukraine open to potential Russian pressure or military action and provided very little security guarantees.
While acknowledging that "part of it is absolutely unacceptable for the Ukrainians," praised the proposal as a combination of good intentions and realistic ideas.
Ukrainian officials believe that Washington may be more inclined to put pressure on Kyiv as political conditions change, and that Moscow is trying to influence the diplomatic process in order to achieve achievements that it has found difficult to achieve militarily.
The suggestion surfaced as a growing corruption scandal involving multiple close supporters has put pressure on President Zelenskyy's domestic standing.
The aftermath has bolstered critics in parliament and sparked calls for changes in the president's inner circle, including recommendations for a new unity government and the dismissal of chief of staff Andriy Yermak.
Washington views recent political unrest as a chance to press Ukraine to engage in talks on conditions it would typically reject. The US was pressuring Moscow to make its demands clear so that peace negotiations could start.
