Trump administration plan would grant Russia major concessions in Ukraine – Axios

The Trump administration has been working with Russian officials on a new proposal to end the war in Ukraine, according to reporting by Barak Ravid of Axios. The plan outlines potential territorial concessions and security guarantees as part of a broader settlement.

The discussions center on a 28-point U.S. proposal, according to Axios. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has been leading the drafting process and has held extensive talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

According to Axios, Dmitriev told U.S. officials he was optimistic about the plan’s chances, saying “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.”

A U.S. official told Axios the proposal would grant Russia parts of eastern Ukraine it does not currently control in exchange for a U.S. security guarantee for Ukraine and Europe. A Ukrainian official said the plan also includes restrictions on the size of Ukraine’s military and its long-range weapons as part of those security arrangements.

Axios reported that the plan calls for Russia to receive full de facto control of Luhansk and Donetsk, collectively known as the Donbas. Under the proposal, the United States and other countries would recognize Crimea and the Donbas as Russian territory, though Ukraine would not be required to do so.

In the Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the current lines of control would largely be frozen, with Russia returning some territory subject to negotiations, Axios reported.

The Ukrainian official denied claims that an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky accepted the plan’s terms during recent talks and said Ukraine opposes many elements of the proposal.