• Trump administration presents 28-point plan requiring major territorial concessions from Kyiv
• White House pressuring Ukraine to sign framework before Thanksgiving or lose support
• Plan includes NATO-style security guarantee but bans Ukraine from joining alliance

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — The White House is pressuring Ukraine to accept a sweeping peace proposal by Thanksgiving or risk losing American support, according to officials familiar with the negotiations, as President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to end the war with Russia.

U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll delivered the 28-point plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv Thursday, marking a dramatic escalation in diplomatic efforts to conclude the nearly four-year conflict. The proposal, drafted by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff with input from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demands significant territorial concessions from Ukraine and imposes strict limits on its military capabilities.

Driscoll and Zelensky “agreed on an aggressive timeline for signature,” according to a U.S. defense official, though the framework would represent an agreement between the United States and Ukraine to pursue an eventual peace settlement rather than a final deal with Russia.

Territorial demands and military restrictions

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The plan would force Kyiv to cede control of additional Ukrainian territory in the Donbas region currently held by Ukrainian forces. Under the proposal, Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk would be recognized as “de facto Russian, including by the United States,” marking a stunning reversal of longstanding U.S. policy supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“The White House view is that Ukraine is likely to lose the territory anyways if the war continues and therefore it is in Ukraine’s interest to reach a deal now.”

The framework calls for Ukraine’s military to be capped at 600,000 personnel, down from current levels estimated between 800,000 and 850,000 troops. Ukrainian forces would withdraw from portions of Donetsk Oblast they currently control, creating a demilitarized buffer zone that would be recognized internationally as Russian territory.

The plan explicitly prohibits Ukraine from joining NATO and bans the deployment of alliance troops on Ukrainian soil, effectively blocking European security proposals that would station forces to deter future Russian aggression.

Security guarantees and economic provisions

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Despite demanding painful concessions, the plan offers Ukraine a security guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5. The framework states that any future “significant, deliberate, and sustained armed attack” by Russia on Ukraine would be regarded as an attack threatening the “transatlantic community,” requiring a coordinated response including potential military force.

The security assurance would last 10 years and could be renewed by mutual consent, requiring signatures from Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, NATO and Russia. A senior White House official confirmed the U.S. presented the proposal to Russia, though it remains unclear whether President Vladimir Putin’s signature would be required.

The economic components call for $100 billion in frozen Russian assets to be invested in rebuilding Ukraine, with Washington receiving 50% of profits from the venture. Remaining frozen funds would go to a U.S.-Russian investment vehicle for joint projects. U.S. sanctions would be lifted in stages, and Moscow would be invited to rejoin the G8.

Ukrainian and European resistance

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials and European allies, who describe it as favoring Russian demands and lacking adequate security guarantees. Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Yurchyshyn compared the American approach to the Munich Agreement of 1938, arguing Washington is pressuring the victim of aggression to accept territorial losses for “illusory security guarantees.”

Zelensky said in an evening address Thursday that he had a “very serious conversation” with U.S. officials who presented what he called a “vision” for ending the war. He indicated Ukraine was prepared for “constructive, honest and swift work” on the proposals but emphasized the need for revisions to make them “truly meaningful.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged Trump has grown “frustrated with both sides” but said the administration views the plan as essential to prevent Ukraine from losing even more territory. “This plan was crafted to reflect the realities of the situation,” Leavitt said, “to find the best win-win scenario, where both parties gain more than they must give.”

Timing and political pressure

The push comes at a moment of particular vulnerability for Zelensky, whose government faces a major corruption scandal involving close advisers. The domestic political turmoil, combined with relentless Russian military pressure and energy infrastructure attacks plunging parts of Ukraine into blackouts, has weakened Zelensky’s negotiating position.

Witkoff has been leading the effort after spending weeks in consultations with Kirill Dmitriev, an adviser to Putin who serves as Russia’s chief economic negotiator. The Russian envoy expressed optimism about the proposal, saying “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.”

European partners, largely excluded from drafting the plan, have signaled alarm. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas emphasized that Europe and Ukraine must support any deal for it to succeed, warning against Ukraine’s “capitulation.”

The Kremlin has denied active negotiations are underway, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow had not been informed that Zelensky was ready to discuss the plan.

Will Ukraine accept territorial concessions in exchange for security guarantees that may prove insufficient to deter future Russian aggression?

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