Trump’s 28-Point Peace Plan Pressures Zelenskyy to Cede Territory and Limit Ukraine’s Military

President Donald Trump this week unveiled a 28-point proposal aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and publicly pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept terms that would substantially favor Moscow. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office he expects Zelenskyy to reply by next Thursday, saying: “We think we have a way of getting peace. He’s going to have to approve it.”

The proposal asks Ukraine to cede the entire eastern Donbas region, dramatically reduce the size of its armed forces, hold fast-track elections within 100 days of any agreement, and secure commitments from European partners that Ukraine will not join NATO. The plan also contains cultural provisions calling for the rejection of all “Nazi ideology and activities” and guarantees for the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education — language critics say risks legitimizing Russian narratives used to justify the invasion.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll formally presented the package in Kyiv. His trip reportedly surprised some staffers, and Ukrainian officials walked away viewing the plan as a possible starting point for negotiation rather than a finished deal. Analysts note that while Russia holds portions of Donbas, much of the region remains under Ukrainian control and that a complete Russian takeover could take years at current rates of advance, according to the independent Institute for the Study of War.

Domestic and battlefield pressure on Kyiv

The timing increases pressure on Zelenskyy amid several domestic and battlefield strains: an emerging corruption scandal tied to roughly $100 million in kickbacks related to contracts with a state-owned nuclear energy company, resignations by senior cabinet ministers, ongoing Russian aerial attacks that have damaged power infrastructure and triggered rolling blackouts, and concerns about financing for next year’s budget.

“What Donald Trump is certainly extremely good at is spotting weak spots of people,” said Konstantin Sonin, a political economist and Russia specialist at the University of Chicago, noting the United States likely has more leverage over Kyiv than over Moscow.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the plan as reflecting “the realities of the situation” and described it as a “win-win scenario.” Trump has repeatedly argued that the war’s costs to U.S. taxpayers—more than $180 billion in aid and other assistance—justify a rapid diplomatic resolution.

Political and symbolic costs

Many analysts warn the deal’s terms would be politically and symbolically devastating for Ukraine. David Silbey, a military historian, said that ceding territory, sharply curbing the military, and accepting cultural concessions would be difficult for Zelenskyy to sell to his public: “I just don’t think Zelenskyy could do this deal and look his public in the eye again.”

For now, Ukraine appears to treat the U.S. proposal as the opening of a difficult negotiation. The coming days will test whether Kyiv can reconcile domestic pressures, battlefield realities and national sentiment—while responding to a U.S. timetable that seeks a rapid answer.