The U.S. Has Proposed That Ukraine Withdraw Its Troops From Donbas, Reduce the Size of Its Army, and Accept a Frozen Front Line in Exchange for Broad Security Guarantees

According to Axios, the draft agreement consists of 28 provisions. Ukraine is asked to withdraw its forces from the Donetsk region, effectively ceding Donbas to Russia. These areas would be turned into a demilitarized zone: Moscow, under the proposed terms, would likewise be barred from stationing its troops there.

The document envisions freezing the front line in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, which Russia has annexed but never fully brought under its control. In the future, following negotiations, Moscow would be expected to return part of these territories to Ukraine, though the sources do not specify which areas are meant.

The United States proposes that Washington and other states—likely Kyiv’s European allies, although no definitive list is provided—formally recognize Donbas and Crimea as Russian territory. Ukraine, however, would not be required to endorse such recognition.

Several provisions concern Ukraine’s armed forces. According to Financial Times, the plan calls for halving the size of the Ukrainian military, while The Economist reports a reduction by two and a half times. It also seeks to restrict Kyiv’s use of long-range systems capable of striking Russian territory. Sources cited by FT say Ukraine would have to designate Russian as an official state language and grant official status to the Russian Orthodox Church. In addition, the document prohibits the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian soil.

In return for these concessions, the United States, according to Axios, pledges to offer Kyiv security guarantees in the event of renewed Russian aggression. The form such guarantees might take remains unclear.

Western media note that the proposed plan largely mirrors demands Moscow has made before. Similar conditions appeared, for instance, in the Russian memorandum handed to the Ukrainian side at the Istanbul talks in June.

The initiative was shaped by current and former U.S. and Russian officials, as well as representatives from Qatar and Turkey. According to Axios, the key proponent on the American side is President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Ukraine was represented at the meeting by National Security and Defense Council secretary Rustem Umerov, dispatched by Volodymyr Zelensky. The talks took place on 15–16 November, and, sources say, numerous amendments proposed by Umerov were incorporated into the text. Back in October, Witkoff had already discussed the draft with Russia’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

Western outlets report that Kyiv did not endorse the proposal. Disagreements, in particular, derailed plans for talks in Ankara involving Witkoff, Zelensky, and Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan, where the U.S. plan was to be examined in greater detail. A U.S. official told Axios that the Ukrainian president brought to the meeting his own settlement proposal, developed with European partners and “one that Russia will never accept.” A Ukrainian source told the outlet that the meeting was postponed at Zelensky’s request, as he insisted the plan be discussed in an expanded format with European participation. Another account links the collapse of the talks to the corruption scandal surrounding Energoatom.

Citing its own sources, Reuters reports that Washington is seeking Kyiv’s acceptance of the document’s key provisions. One of the American officials who spoke to Axios said the White House believes that if the war continues, Ukraine risks losing Donbas in any case, meaning “it is in Ukraine’s interest to reach an agreement now.”

Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, this is already the fourth attempt by the U.S. administration to outline a framework for a possible end to the war. On the eve of the reports, a senior White House official told Politico that a basic ceasefire agreement could be reached by the end of November—or even “as early as this week.”

A source for The Bell familiar with sentiment inside the Kremlin described the American proposal as “not a plan but a mix of real provisions and well-meaning intentions,” noting that some of the conditions are entirely unacceptable for Ukraine. Even so, the very appearance of such an initiative was, in his words, a step forward, though real settlement remains a distant prospect.

European officials, writes Bloomberg correspondent Alex Wickham, view the developments with skepticism and believe Moscow is once again trying to “play” the American side by initiating a new round of informal “talks.” “Europe is not involved in these discussions. It is unclear who in the U.S. supports this line. It looks like yet another Witkoff–Dmitriev idea, one that aligns with Russian demands,” the journalist notes. According to him, European officials believe that by signaling readiness to engage with Washington, Russia is seeking to head off tougher sanctions.

Against the backdrop of reports detailing the American initiative, the Kremlin again stressed its readiness to resume talks in Istanbul. “Moscow is open to negotiations. The pause that has arisen is, in fact, the result of the Kyiv regime’s unwillingness to continue this dialogue,” said Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president’s press secretary.

Volodymyr Zelensky, visiting Turkey, thanked Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his mediation efforts and for discussing “a real path toward a reliable and dignified end to the war.”