According to reporting by Axios, Financial Times, and PBS NewsHour, the draft proposes that Ukraine relinquish remaining territory in Donetsk, accept permanent Russian control of Crimea, and agree to freeze current battle lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. It also outlines a 60% reduction in Ukraine’s armed forces and a ban on long-range missile systems capable of striking inside Russia.
The framework further requires Ukraine to pledge never to join NATO and prohibits the deployment of any NATO troops or peacekeepers on Ukrainian soil. In return, the US would extend NATO-style security assurances to Kyiv and lead a broader European security mechanism to deter future Russian aggression.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after meeting US military officials in Kyiv on November 21, said his team was ready to examine the proposals but cautioned that no commitments had been made. “We agreed that our teams will work to ensure these proposals are genuine. We are ready for clear and honest work,” he said, adding that only Washington has the leverage to bring the conflict to an end.
Moscow has publicly denied knowledge of the plan, though the draft reportedly includes several long-standing Russian demands, including recognition of occupied territories and restrictions on Ukraine’s military posture.
European officials have urged that any settlement must include Kyiv as an equal party. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Europe “must be part of any plan shaping Ukraine’s future security.”
The proposal, inspired in part by the Trump administration’s Gaza ceasefire outline, remains under internal review in Washington. If advanced, it would trigger negotiations involving the US, Ukraine, Russia, and mediators such as Qatar and Turkey, with provisions for phased sanctions relief and a five-year review of the agreement.
