Zelenskyy likely to meet Trump as 28-point peace proposal draws Kyiv’s criticism
Ukraine continues to strike Russian military and energy targets with long-range drones, even as Moscow’s assaults on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure persist.
New Delhi,November 21, 2025 10:33 AM IST
First published on: Nov 21, 2025 at 10:15 AM IST
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Axios, which first reported details of the plan, said Russia would gain full de facto control of Luhansk and Donetsk, even though Ukraine still holds around 14.5 per cent of that territory. (File)
The 28-point peace plan proposed by the US to end the Ukraine–Russia war received a muted response from Kyiv. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he “appreciated the efforts of President Trump and his team to return security to Europe” and will speak to him in the coming days, BBC reported.
Axios, which first reported details of the plan, said Russia would gain full de facto control of Luhansk and Donetsk, even though Ukraine still holds around 14.5 per cent of that territory.
According to The Telegraph, the proposal would place the Donbas region under Russian control while Ukraine retained legal ownership, with Moscow effectively paying rent for the land. Donbas would become a demilitarised zone, barring both Russian and Ukrainian troops.
While the US and several other countries would recognise Crimea and Donbas as legally Russian, Ukraine would not be required to do so. In Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the plan suggests freezing the conflict along the current lines of control, with Russia potentially returning some land following negotiations, Axios noted.
If accurate, the terms appear heavily tilted towards Moscow, explaining Kyiv’s cautious response.
Zelensky’s office said in a statement that it believed the US plan could help advance diplomacy and that Ukraine had “agreed to work on the plan’s provisions in a way that would bring about a just end to the war,” according to the BBC.
The American side presented points of a plan to end the war—their vision. I outlined our key principles. We agreed that our teams will work on the points to ensure it’s all genuine.
The draft was reportedly prepared by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev, without Ukraine’s participation. At a White House press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been “engaging both sides equally” to understand their commitments. “It’s a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine,” she said, without offering further details. “We believe it should be acceptable to both sides, and we’re working very hard to get it done.”
In his nightly address on Thursday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs a “worthy peace” and insisted that the “dignity of the Ukrainian people” must be respected.
However, European ministers warned against advancing any proposal without consulting Kyiv or Brussels. “For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Today, during a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, we discussed options for achieving real peace, the sequencing of our work and formats for dialogue, as well as new impulses for diplomacy. Our teams – of Ukraine and the United States – will work on the… pic.twitter.com/kWXnFh4YNz
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 20, 2025
Since the beginning of his second term earlier this year, Trump has launched multiple efforts to end the conflict including a bilateral summit with Putin in Alaska, several visits by Witkoff to Moscow, and rounds of talks with Zelenskyy and other Western leaders.
But as the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches, the two sides remain sharply divided over what peace should look like.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to strike Russian military and energy targets with long-range drones, even as Moscow’s assaults on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure persist.
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Axios, which first reported details of the plan, said Russia would gain full de facto control of Luhansk and Donetsk, even though Ukraine still holds around 14.5 per cent of that territory. (File) 
