- Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to work on a 28-point US-Russia peace plan for Ukraine
- The plan demands Ukraine cede Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk to Russia
- Ukraine must limit military size, hold elections in 100 days, and reject NATO membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to work on the 28-point peace plan drafted by the US and Russia, which proposes to force Kyiv to cede large chunks of territory taken by Moscow. Zelensky said he expects to talk with US President Donald Trump in the coming days about the proposals that accede to many of Russian President Vladimir Putin's wartime demands.
Ukraine has officially received a draft plan from Washington, which the US side believes could help reinvigorate diplomacy, Zelensky's office said in a statement after a meeting with top US generals visiting Kyiv.
Zelensky has "outlined the fundamental principles that matter to our people, and following today's meeting, the parties agreed to work on the plan's provisions in a way that would bring about a just end to the war," it said. The Ukrainian President also expects to discuss with Trump "the existing diplomatic opportunities and the key points required to achieve peace," according to the statement.
What The Plan Says
A 28-point peace plan floated by US and Russian envoys is modelled on the Gaza ceasefire in an effort to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that's deep in its fourth year. It outlines known Kremlin demands for concessions that Kyiv has repeatedly said are unacceptable and that have so far hindered all efforts to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
Under the terms of the plan, the Ukrainian regions of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk would be "recognised as de facto Russian, including by the United States. It also proposes to cap the size of its military and lift sanctions on Moscow over time. Ukraine would also be required to hold elections in 100 days and give up any hope of NATO membership.
Ukraine would receive a US security guarantee - albeit one that Washington would be compensated for. The US would also get 50 per cent of profits to rebuild and invest in Ukraine and also enter an economic partnership with Russia once sanctions are lifted.
What Are 28 Points?
1. Ukraine's sovereignty will be confirmed.
2. A comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine and Europe, following which all ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered settled.
3. It is expected that Russia will not invade neighbouring countries, and NATO will not expand further.
4. A dialogue will be held between Russia and NATO, mediated by the United States, to resolve all security issues and create conditions for de-escalation to ensure global security and increase opportunities for cooperation and future economic development.
5. Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees. A US official told Axios this would be an explicit security guarantee for Ukraine from the US. It is the first time that security guarantees have officially been on the table during these talks, though the proposal does not offer further details on what it entails.
6. The size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be limited to 600,000 personnel. Currently, Ukraine's army includes 800,000-850,000 personnel.
7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to include in its statutes a provision that Ukraine will not be admitted in the future.
8. NATO agrees not to station troops in Ukraine. The clause is important, as NATO countries, including France and the UK, have been working on separate proposals that would include small numbers of European troops on Ukrainian soil after the war. This plan appears to disregard that possibility.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
10. The US will receive compensation in exchange for security guarantees. If Ukraine invades Russia, it will lose the guarantee. If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a decisive coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be reinstated, and recognition of the new territory and all other benefits of this deal will be revoked. If Ukraine launches a missile at Moscow or St Petersburg without cause, the security guarantee will be deemed invalid.
11. Ukraine is eligible for EU membership and will receive short-term preferential access to the European market while the issue is being considered.
12. A powerful global package of measures to rebuild Ukraine, including but not limited to the creation of a Ukraine Development Fund to invest in fast-growing industries in the fields of technology, data centres, and artificial intelligence. The United States will cooperate with Ukraine to jointly rebuild, develop, modernise, and operate Ukraine's gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities. Joint efforts to rehabilitate war-affected areas for the restoration, reconstruction and modernisation of cities and residential areas.
13. Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy. The lifting of sanctions will be discussed and agreed upon in stages and on a case-by-case basis. The United States will enter into a long-term economic cooperation agreement for mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centres, rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic, and other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities. Russia will also be invited to rejoin the G8.
14. $100 billion in frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine. The US will receive 50 per cent of the profits from this venture. Europe will add $100 billion to increase the amount of investment available for Ukraine's reconstruction. Frozen European funds will be unfrozen. The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in specific areas.
15. A joint American-Russian working group on security issues will be established to promote and ensure compliance with all provisions of this agreement.
16. Russia will enshrine in law its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine.
17. The United States and Russia will agree to extend the validity of treaties on the non-proliferation and control of nuclear weapons, including the START I Treaty. The new START, the last major US-Russia arms control treaty, is due to expire in February.
18. Ukraine agrees to be a non-nuclear state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
19. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be launched under the supervision of the IAEA, and the electricity produced will be distributed equally between Russia and Ukraine.
20. Both countries undertake to implement educational programmes in schools and society aimed at promoting understanding and tolerance of different cultures and eliminating racism and prejudice. Ukraine will adopt EU rules on religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities. Both countries will agree to abolish all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education.
21. Territories, including Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk, will be recognised as de facto Russian, including by the United States. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will be frozen along the line of contact, which will mean de facto recognition along the line of contact. Russia will relinquish other agreed territories it controls outside the five regions. Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk Oblast that they currently control, and this withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarised buffer zone, internationally recognised as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces will not enter this demilitarised zone.
22. After agreeing on future territorial arrangements, both the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertake not to change these arrangements by force. Any security guarantees will not apply in the event of a breach of this commitment.
23. Russia will not prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper River for commercial activities, and agreements will be reached on the free transport of grain across the Black Sea.
24. A humanitarian committee will be established to resolve outstanding issues, including the exchange of all remaining prisoners and bodies, the return of all civilian detainees and hostages and the implementation of the family reunification programme.
25. Ukraine will hold elections in 100 days.
26. All parties involved in this conflict will receive full amnesty for their actions during the war and agree not to make any claims or consider any complaints in the future.
27. This agreement will be legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by the Peace Council, headed by President Donald J. Trump. Sanctions will be imposed for violations.
28. Once all parties agree to this memorandum, the ceasefire will take effect immediately after both sides retreat to the agreed-upon points to begin implementation of the agreement.
