The United States is reportedly urging Ukraine to accept a 28‑point peace proposal that would require Kyiv to cede parts of Donbas and shrink its military while offering a NATO‑style security guarantee. Critics say Washington has placed heavy demands on President Zelenskyy, asked little of President Putin and largely sidelined Ukraine in drafting the plan. Observers warn such an approach could deepen resistance in Kyiv and risk prolonging the conflict. An Obama‑era NATO envoy warned that any effort to negotiate with Russia without meaningful Ukrainian participation is unlikely to succeed.
US Presses Ukraine to Accept Contested 28‑Point Peace Plan; Critics Say Kyiv Is Sidelined
The United States is reportedly urging Ukraine to accept a 28‑point peace proposal that would require Kyiv to cede parts of Donbas and shrink its military while offering a NATO‑style security guarantee. Critics say Washington has placed heavy demands on President Zelenskyy, asked little of President Putin and largely sidelined Ukraine in drafting the plan. Observers warn such an approach could deepen resistance in Kyiv and risk prolonging the conflict. An Obama‑era NATO envoy warned that any effort to negotiate with Russia without meaningful Ukrainian participation is unlikely to succeed.
07:30 PM, 11/21/2025Conflict
Overview: Reports say the United States is pressing Ukraine to accept a 28‑point peace proposal that would require Kyiv to cede control of the Donbas region and reduce the size of its armed forces. The plan reportedly also includes a NATO‑style security guarantee, but analysts say the package is deeply contested and many have rejected it.
The proposal’s most notable elements would see Kyiv give up sovereignty over parts of eastern Ukraine and make binding limits on the country’s military capacity. At the same time, it is said to offer international security assurances that resemble a NATO‑style guarantee.
Critics accuse Washington of placing heavy demands on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while asking little of President Vladimir Putin. They also say Ukraine has been largely excluded from the drafting process for the proposed settlement, fueling concerns that Kyiv’s interests are being sidelined in talks that will directly determine its future.
Voices and concerns:
As long as Trump thinks that he can end this war with Putin and without Zelensky and Ukraine, he will have to wait a whole lot longer.— an Obama‑era NATO envoy
Analysts warn that pushing Kyiv toward a deal seen as unfavorable could harden Ukrainian resistance, complicate diplomatic efforts and risk prolonging the conflict rather than ending it. Observers also note the political sensitivities of negotiating terms that affect territorial integrity and national defense capacity.
What to watch next: How Kyiv responds to these overtures, whether Moscow will engage with the proposal’s key conditions, and whether any international guarantors will offer credible, enforceable security assurances are likely to determine whether this plan advances, stalls, or is reworked entirely.