The leaked U.S. 28-point Russia-Ukraine peace plan has sparked intense global reactions, sending diplomatic shockwaves through world capitals regarding the future of the conflict.
A widely leaked 28-point U.S. peace plan for Russia and Ukraine proposes significant territorial, military, and constitutional concessions from Ukraine, drawing mixed reactions amid ongoing conflict and diplomatic tension.
Key Proposals and Ukrainian Sovereignty Concerns
The draft suggests Ukraine hand over control of parts of the eastern Donbas region still under its authority to Russia’s de facto control, including cities like Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. It also calls for limiting Ukraine’s armed forces to 600,000 personnel, a sharp reduction from the approximately 880,000 active military personnel as of early 2025.
While the plan purports to confirm Ukraine’s sovereignty and envisions security guarantees and snap elections within 100 days of signing, details remain vague. Ukrainian representatives firmly reject any recognition of territorial concessions, emphasizing that:
“There will never be any recognition formal or otherwise of Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation as Russian.”
Further asserting the country’s sovereign right to self-defense, Ukrainian representative Khrystyna Hayovyshyn told the UN Security Council:
“Our red lines are clear and unwavering.”
Future Security and Political Alignments
The draft mandates Ukraine enshrine in its constitution a renunciation of Nato membership and includes Nato agreeing not to admit Ukraine in the future while offering Ukraine EU membership eligibility and short-term market access.
It requires Ukraine to become a non-nuclear state and prohibits the stationing of foreign troops on its soil, though European fighter jets would be stationed in neighboring Poland.
These provisions highlight the geopolitical compromises Ukraine would need to accept, variance from its constitutional aspirations and current alliances.
Economic and Reconstruction Provisions
The plan proposes allocating $100 billion from frozen Russian assets toward US-led reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, with the U.S. retaining half the profits and Europe contributing additional investment.
While acknowledging the massive $524 billion estimated rebuilding cost, the plan leaves significant questions about sufficiency and equitable support unanswered.
Russia’s Reintegration and Amnesty Clauses
Several points focus on reintegrating Russia into the global economy, including readmittance to the G8, despite ongoing international sanctions and Putin’s ICC arrest warrant.
It also calls for a “full amnesty” for all parties involved, a contentious measure likely to be welcomed in Moscow but heavily resisted in Kyiv and Europe.
Reception and Uncertainties
Senior officials acknowledge the draft is a work in progress, with some details already revised or omitted. European Union officials and the Russian foreign ministry report not having officially seen the plan.
Ukrainian leaders and commentators largely view the document as skewed towards Russia’s interests and far from an acceptable peace treaty.
High-profile figures like Putin have urged Kyiv to consider agreeing to the terms, portraying the military situation as compelling their hand.
Bottom line
This US draft proposal marks a delicate and controversial attempt to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, balancing complex military realities, geopolitical interests, and the urgent need for peace. However, significant objections from Ukraine and Europe, opaque security guarantees, and the contentious territorial and military stipulations render it far from a finalized or universally accepted peace roadmap.
