Controversial US Proposal Would Lease Donbas to Russia in 28-Point Peace Plan

A reported 28-point US proposal would require Ukraine to lease day-to-day control of the eastern Donbas region to Russia while Kyiv retained legal title, with Moscow paying an unspecified rental fee, officials familiar with the discussions said. The secretive plan—allegedly negotiated in recent talks between US and Russian intermediaries—has alarmed Ukrainian and Western officials who fear Kyiv is being sidelined in decisions about its future.

Key provisions

• Kyiv would cede de facto control of Donbas while keeping legal ownership; Russia would pay a rent for the territory.
• Ukraine’s armed forces would be reduced by roughly half and be prohibited from possessing long-range missiles.
• Foreign troops would be barred from operating in Ukraine, US military assistance would end, and foreign diplomatic aircraft would be prevented from landing in the country.
• Russian would be granted official status in the affected areas and the Russian Orthodox Church would receive recognized status in occupied territories.
• Ukraine would be able to seek security guarantees from the US and European governments to sustain any ceasefire.

Ukrainian officials publicly rejected the proposal and Russian officials denied knowledge of it. President Donald Trump did not directly address the package but said he had recently told Vladimir Putin:

“Let me settle your freaking war.”

Sources say the White House urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the terms, asserting Ukraine was vulnerable amid a domestic corruption scandal. Mr. Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out surrendering the entire Donbas as the price for peace.

According to reporting, the plan was developed during three days of talks in Miami between Steve Witkoff, a US intermediary associated with the White House, and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian envoy. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, was later flown to Miami for follow-up talks. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a US envoy to Ukraine, resigned shortly after the plan surfaced; associates said he was concerned about the negotiation process.

Context and reactions

Observers note the lease concept mirrors past examples where economic arrangements underpinned political settlements. The Donbas is rich in minerals, and a rental arrangement could be framed as compensation for lost economic access. Kyiv’s constitution requires a public referendum to cede territory—an outcome that would likely fail—so a lease could be seen as a way to bypass that requirement.

European diplomats say many capitals were kept largely out of the loop. Reports indicate alternative peace proposals are being drafted with European partners and by mediators in Qatar and Turkey; a planned meeting between Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Zelensky was postponed after Ukrainian officials expressed strong reservations.

On the ground

Violence continues across Ukraine. Officials reported a wave of Russian drone and missile strikes that Kyiv said involved roughly 470 drones and 48 missiles, killing at least nine people and striking cities including Kharkiv, Lviv and Ternopil. Fighting remains intense around Pokrovsk in Donetsk, a logistical hub where up to 500 troops have been reported engaged and which analysts warn could fall to Russian forces.

Separately, UK officials accused the Russian research vessel Yantar of attempting to dazzle RAF aircrews with lasers while being monitored off Scotland; the ship was tracked by the Royal Navy between Nov. 5 and Nov. 11.

With diplomatic maneuvering ongoing, US and European officials say discussions will continue amid stark differences over whether any settlement should freeze current front lines or restore Ukrainian control before a ceasefire is fixed. The proposal has intensified debate over the balance between pursuing an immediate ceasefire and preserving Ukraine’s long-term territorial integrity.