The United States and Russia have drafted a plan to end the war in Ukraine. The proposal would force Ukraine to surrender territory, reduce its military, and accept strict limits on future NATO expansion. The draft was first obtained by AP News, which reviewed the document through U.S. officials familiar with the negotiations.
According to AP News, the draft would require Ukraine to give up the entire Donbas region. Russia would gain full control of Donetsk and Luhansk. Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk would be treated as de facto Russian territory by the United States. Ukrainian forces would also withdraw from the areas of Donetsk they still hold.
Ukraine’s army would be cut from about 880,000 troops to 600,000. The plan says Ukraine would receive “robust security guarantees.” It does not explain how those guarantees would work in practice.
A side agreement reported by AP News says any “significant, deliberate and sustained attack” by Russia would be seen as a threat to the transatlantic community. The agreement does not require the United States or Europe to intervene. It only says they would decide what response might be needed.
The plan bans Ukraine from joining NATO. It also halts any future expansion of the alliance. Moscow has demanded this outcome since the early days of the invasion.
The proposal would also open the door for Russia to rejoin the G8. Sanctions would be lifted in phases and tied to specific conditions. Russia would keep half the output of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, which it took over early in the war.
Russia would agree to stop all attacks under the proposal. U.S. officials told AP News that the White House views this as a concession from Moscow. The plan also dedicates $100 billion in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine’s reconstruction.
A non-aggression pact between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe is included. The United States would also sign new agreements with Russia covering energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, natural resources, and Arctic rare-earth mining.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff led the drafting effort. A senior U.S. official told Fox News Digital that Witkoff spent a month gathering input from both Ukrainian and Russian representatives.
Rustem Umerov, a top adviser to Zelenskyy, agreed to most of the plan after making changes. He then presented the modified draft to the Ukrainian president. Another official told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the plan and supports it.
U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll arrived in Kyiv on Thursday and delivered the latest version. Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for “honest” and “constructive” work with the United States on the proposal. His office said he outlined principles that matter to the Ukrainian people. It did not comment directly on the territorial concessions or troop cuts.
Ukraine’s deputy U.N. ambassador told the Security Council that Kyiv has officially received the draft. She said Ukraine will never recognize Russian control of occupied land. She also said Ukraine will not accept limits on the size of its armed forces. She added that Ukraine will not tolerate restrictions on its alliances.
European officials reacted strongly to the emerging details. Many said they were not consulted. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the plan appears too favorable to Moscow. She noted there were no clear concessions from Russia. German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul said he discussed the draft with Witkoff and Turkey’s foreign minister. He said Europe must be part of any final agreement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia maintains contacts with the United States. He said there are no formal consultations underway. He did not rule out future discussions.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the plan reflects the current reality after five years of war. She told Fox News Digital that both sides must accept difficult concessions. She also said Trump supports the work done by Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The proposal establishes a “Peace Council” that Trump would oversee. It is modeled after his earlier peace framework for the Israel-Hamas conflict. Any violation of the truce by Russia or Ukraine would trigger sanctions.
Trump has worked for months to negotiate an end to the war. His summer meeting with Putin in Alaska did not produce a breakthrough. A follow-up summit planned for Budapest never happened. Trump said he expected progress because of his past relationship with Putin. He also said he is disappointed in the Russian leader.
The peace plan remains in draft form. Officials say more changes are possible. Zelenskyy is expected to discuss the proposal directly with Trump in the coming days.