Key points: The United States has reportedly urged President Zelensky to accept a U.S.-drafted peace framework that could require Ukraine to cede territory and limit its arms and military size. Kyiv says it was not involved in drafting the proposals and has not accepted them. President Zelensky met Turkey’s Erdogan and will meet U.S. Army leaders in Kyiv; European diplomats have expressed concern about any plan that sidelines Ukraine’s position. Russia still controls about 19% of Ukraine and recent strikes killed 25 people as fighting continues.
U.S. Pushes Ukraine to Consider Draft Peace Framework That Could Require Territorial Concessions
Key points: The United States has reportedly urged President Zelensky to accept a U.S.-drafted peace framework that could require Ukraine to cede territory and limit its arms and military size. Kyiv says it was not involved in drafting the proposals and has not accepted them. President Zelensky met Turkey’s Erdogan and will meet U.S. Army leaders in Kyiv; European diplomats have expressed concern about any plan that sidelines Ukraine’s position. Russia still controls about 19% of Ukraine and recent strikes killed 25 people as fighting continues.
07:27 AM, 11/20/2025Conflict
Summary: Two U.S. sources say Washington has signalled to President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv should accept a U.S.-drafted framework to end the war with Russia. The draft reportedly includes territorial concessions, limits on weapons and a reduction in the size of Ukraine’s armed forces. Kyiv says it was not involved in drafting the proposals and has not accepted them.
What’s being proposed
According to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, a U.S. draft peace framework discussed with Russia would require Ukraine to cede parts of territory and relinquish some weapons. The proposals reportedly also include cuts to the size of Ukraine’s military and other measures. Washington is said to want Kyiv to accept the framework’s main elements.
Kyiv’s response and diplomatic moves
Ukrainian officials say they received “signals” about the U.S. proposals but were not involved in drawing them up. President Zelensky, who met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, did not directly address the U.S. framework in public comments. He called instead for strong, coordinated American leadership to end the conflict.
“The main thing for stopping the bloodshed and achieving lasting peace is that we work in coordination with all our partners and that American leadership remains effective, strong,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram after his meeting with Erdogan.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet U.S. Army officials in Kyiv. A U.S. delegation led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, accompanied by Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, is in Kyiv on what U.S. officials describe as a fact-finding mission; Driscoll and George are expected to meet the Ukrainian president.
International reaction and context
Reports that the United States is pressing for a new diplomatic push helped trigger a sharp one-day rise in Ukraine’s government bond prices. European diplomats expressed concern: some warned the proposals could pressure Kyiv into an unfavorable position, while others said suggestions such as cutting Ukraine’s army sounded more like Russian demands than serious Western proposals.
Moscow’s position and battlefield realities
Moscow has shown no sign of softening long-standing conditions for an end to the war, including demands that Ukraine renounce plans to join NATO and withdraw forces from four provinces Moscow claims. Ukraine has rejected those conditions. Russian forces currently control roughly 19% of Ukraine’s territory and have continued offensive operations; recent strikes reportedly killed 25 people overnight and have damaged energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
Next steps
Diplomacy appears to be accelerating, with talks involving Turkey and possible follow-up meetings with U.S. officials. Any proposal that affects Ukraine’s borders, military capacity or sovereignty will face intense scrutiny from Kyiv, European allies and NATO members. Officials on all sides say negotiations remain complex and there is no indication of imminent agreement.
Sources: Two anonymous U.S.-side sources familiar with the draft, statements from Ukrainian officials and public comments by President Zelensky; U.S. officials accompanying the delegation in Kyiv.