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The 28-point proposal, which comes as the Trump administration tries to restart settlement talks, includes demands long rejected by Kyiv as nonstarters.
Nov. 19, 2025, 5:49 p.m. ET
A plan to end the war in Ukraine, negotiated between the Trump administration and Russia, would require Kyiv to surrender territory, significantly reduce the size of its army and relinquish some types of weaponry, according to officials familiar with the proposal.
The 28-point proposal, drafted without Ukrainian involvement, reflects the maximalist demands the Kremlin has made throughout the war, which Ukraine has long denounced as amounting to capitulation. Parts of the plan were described by two officials who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly — one Ukrainian and one who did not want to be identified by country.
It is the latest effort by the Trump administration to reinvigorate stalled settlement talks in the nearly four-year-old war. But some Ukrainian commentators also saw the proposal as a bid by Russia to press Ukraine for concessions while the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky is weakened by a high-level corruption scandal, which could dissuade allies from sending aid. Kyiv is also under growing pressure on the battlefield, as Moscow’s forces make gains against a Ukrainian military that is stretched thin.
“One thing is clear,” said Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, a former presidential foreign policy adviser. “Ukraine’s position right now is not strong, and this is seen not only inside the country but also by our partners, including the United States, and of course by the aggressor.” Mr. Yelisieiev is in the political opposition to Mr. Zelensky.
The White House did not comment on the contents of the proposal. Asked by reporters about the plan, Stephen Miller, a White House deputy chief of staff, said, “Don’t have any news or announcement to make on that.”
The United States is reviving its diplomatic efforts after meetings over the summer between Ukrainian and Russian officials, and between President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, produced no breakthroughs. As part of this push, the Trump administration has pressed Russia and Ukraine to present in writing terms for a settlement that could become a basis of negotiations.
