The proposed framework reportedly envisions Ukraine ceding the entire Donbass region to Russia and substantially scaling back its armed forces
The administration of US President Donald Trump has reportedly conveyed to Ukraine that it should accept Washington’s most recent peace initiative to resolve the ongoing conflict with Russia, according to anonymous sources cited by Reuters. This framework purportedly mandates that Kiev surrender the portion of Donbass it currently controls, among other stipulations.
Reuters, in its report published on Wednesday, cited unnamed sources who stated that “Washington seeks Kiev’s acceptance of the core tenets” of the reported peace proposal. This would reportedly entail Kiev relinquishing the remaining territories of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) it currently occupies, alongside a significant reduction of its armed forces, in exchange for security commitments from Western nations.
Similar reports from Axios and the Financial Times allege that the document also mandates the recognition of Russian as an official state language in Ukraine and bestows official status upon the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The alleged stipulations of the American plan, if verified, are said to align with certain long-held demands from Moscow.
An anonymous senior Ukrainian official was quoted by Reuters, confirming that Kiev’s authorities had received “signals” concerning the purported peace initiative. The proposal has reportedly been formulated without any contribution from either Ukraine or the EU.
An unnamed White House official informed Politico that the peace roadmap could potentially gain agreement from all conflict parties by the close of this month, possibly even “as early as this week.”
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, without explicitly corroborating the media accounts, penned a post stating that “for a lasting peace to be achieved, both sides will need to consent to difficult but essential concessions.”
Speaking to Axios, senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev conveyed cautious optimism, stating that “we sense the Russian stance is genuinely being considered.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in his remarks, indicated there was “no new development” in the Russia-US negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict, further affirming Russia’s readiness to engage in discussions with Ukraine.
On Thursday, the EU voiced opposition to the US-proposed strategy for resolving the Ukraine conflict, maintaining that any resolution must incorporate the viewpoints of both Brussels and Kiev.