A plan backed by US President Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine shows that Kyiv would have to make significant concessions, including ceding large swathes of territory in the east and halving the size of its army, according to a draft seen by AFP.
Under the proposed 28-point plan, the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, would be "recognized" as "Russian territory," including by the United States.
The White House confirmed that discussions are still ongoing regarding the peace plan, while the smaller and less well-equipped Ukrainian army struggles to contain the Russian advance on the front lines.
The US plan also calls for dividing two other southern regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, between Russia and Ukraine. A Russian airstrike on Thursday evening killed at least five people and injured several others, according to the Ukrainian emergency services on Telegram.
If Kyiv accepts the current formula, it must abandon its ambition to join NATO and enshrine this in its constitution.
The plan also stipulates that the Ukrainian army be limited to 600,000 troops and that NATO commit to not deploying forces in Ukraine, although European fighter jets would be stationed in Poland to protect Kyiv.
Under the proposal, Russia would be "reintegrated into the global economy" and allowed to rejoin the G8, from which it was expelled in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea.
At the same time, Russia faces few military restrictions in the plan, being expected "not to invade neighboring countries."
- An Honorable Peace
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who met in Kyiv with a Pentagon delegation led by US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, said that any agreement aimed at ending the Russian invasion must establish an "honorable peace" that guarantees "respect for our independence and sovereignty."
The Ukrainian presidency said that Zelenskyy had officially received a draft plan from the United States that, according to the American assessment, "could revive diplomatic efforts."
It explained that Zelenskyy intends to discuss with his American counterpart "in the coming days the available diplomatic possibilities and the most important points necessary for peace."
Zelenskyy had previously stated in a Telegram post that "peace is essential, and we appreciate the efforts of President Trump and his team to restore security in Europe."
The White House emphasized on Thursday that the US peace plan, backed by President Donald Trump and currently under negotiation with Russia and Ukraine, is "good" for both sides, dismissing concerns that it caters too deeply to Moscow's demands.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said in a press briefing, "It's ongoing and evolving, but the president supports this plan. It's a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we believe it will be acceptable to both sides."
Levitt explained that US Special Envoy Steve Wittkopf and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been working "secretly for a month" on this project "to understand what these two countries might be willing to offer to achieve a lasting peace."
A senior US official told AFP that Kyiv had requested an amendment to a clause in the plan that included "audits" on aid and sanctions in case of any irregularities, at a time when Ukraine is embroiled in a major corruption scandal.
However, in the version seen by AFP, the concept of oversight disappeared and was replaced by a pledge that "all parties involved in this conflict will receive a general amnesty for their actions during the war."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced during a press briefing attended by AFP that Putin visited "one of the command centers of the forces deployed in the west and held a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff" on Thursday.
He did not specify whether the command center was located in occupied Ukrainian territory or in Russia.
At this time, Russia announced it had captured the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kobani, one of several cities where Russian forces have made significant advances in recent weeks against struggling Ukrainian troops.
Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov declared that Russian forces were "advancing on almost all fronts."
- Reconstruction and Elections
The peace plan, backed by Washington, calls for a "non-aggression pact" between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe.
According to the draft, if Russia invades Ukraine again, it will face a "coordinated" military response and will again be subject to international sanctions.
The plan includes unspecified "security guarantees" for Ukraine, a reconstruction plan, and elections to be held within 100 days.
Among the proposals is funding reconstruction efforts with up to $100 billion from currently frozen Russian assets.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will be restarted under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, with its electricity production to be shared equally between Ukraine and Russia.
Earlier today, a senior official in Kyiv expressed regret that Russia had dictated the peace proposals and the Americans had accepted them, noting that it was unclear what Moscow was expected to do in return.
The American proposal did not make a positive initial impression in Brussels on Thursday, where EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed during a meeting of EU foreign ministers that achieving peace in Ukraine was only possible with the participation of both Europeans and Ukrainians.
In response to a question about the American peace plan, she said, "For any plan to succeed, Ukrainians and Europeans must be involved, and that is very clear."
If all parties agree to the plan, its implementation will be monitored by a "peace council" headed by Donald Trump.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian government's Prisoners of War Center announced via Telegram, "Today, repatriation procedures took place. One thousand bodies, which the Russian side claims are those of Ukrainian soldiers, have been returned to Ukraine."
The last repatriation of remains took place at the end of October and also involved 1,000 bodies.
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