Former US President Donald Trump has endorsed a highly contentious 28-point peace proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, sparking fierce criticism from European allies who describe it as requiring Ukraine's surrender of significant territory and substantial military disarmament.
The Controversial Peace Plan Details
According to multiple reports from Axios, The Telegraph, and Financial Times, the proposed agreement would force Ukraine to relinquish control of the Donetsk region while legally maintaining ownership. In what appears to be an unusual compromise, Russia would pay an unspecified rental fee for de facto control of this eastern territory.
The plan contains even more controversial elements, including demands that Ukraine reduce its armed forces by half and accept a complete ban on possessing long-range missiles. These conditions have been met with outrage from Ukrainian officials and European partners, who view them as effectively rewarding Russian aggression.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the proposals in a social media post, stating that Washington would "continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict." He emphasised that achieving durable peace would require "difficult but necessary concessions" from both parties.
Diplomatic Fallout and European Backlash
The revelation of Trump's peace plan follows a reportedly explosive meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House last month. Sources indicate the discussion descended into a shouting match, with Trump allegedly throwing aside Ukrainian battlefield maps while demanding acceptance of Russia's maximalist terms.
European leaders have responded with uniform condemnation. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas insisted that any agreement must have European countries and Ukraine itself fully on board. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski argued that Ukraine, as the conflict's victim, should not face restrictions on its self-defence capabilities.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot delivered particularly strong criticism, stating: "Ukrainians want peace - a just peace that respects everyone's sovereignty, a durable peace that can't be called into question by future aggression. But peace cannot be a capitulation."
Previous Failed Peace Efforts
This represents Trump's latest attempt to broker an end to the conflict, following an August summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska that produced no substantive results. More recently, plans for a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary Rubio collapsed after Trump declared such a summit would be "a waste of time."
The Kremlin maintained its standard position on Thursday, stating that any peace plan must address the conflict's "root causes" while confirming that no formal negotiations are currently underway. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm whether the Russian leader had been briefed on Trump's specific proposals.
As the diplomatic manoeuvring continues, the plan faces almost certain rejection from Ukraine and its European allies, setting the stage for further tension in transatlantic relations over how to approach the ongoing conflict.
