On Wednesday it became known that the USA had developed a new plan to end the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, which has been going on for almost four years. According to a senior Ukrainian official, the initiative calls for the cession of Russian-controlled areas, including the Crimean Peninsula, as well as a significant reduction in the size of the Ukrainian army and Ukraine’s abandonment of all long-range weapons.
In return, the plan reportedly contains only vague information about future security guarantees for Ukraine. According to US media, the plan was drawn up in secret consultations by representatives of the US government together with representatives of Russia.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said on Thursday that any deal to end the war must respect his country’s independence and sovereignty as well as “the dignity of the Ukrainian people.” He had previously met with senior Pentagon officials in Kyiv.
Zelensky’s office said Ukraine had received a draft plan to end the war. The Ukrainian president wants to talk to US President Donald Trump about the proposal “in the coming days.”
Leavitt reiterated on Thursday that Trump was “increasingly frustrated” by the “refusal” of Russia and Ukraine to commit to a peace agreement. According to them, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had developed the plan over the past few months. The spokeswoman emphasized that they “dealt equally with both sides – Russia and Ukraine”.
Kiev’s European allies reacted cautiously to the US initiative, which appears to greatly favor Russian interests. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) and EU Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas, among others, insisted on the participation of Ukraine and Europe in possible negotiations.
“For any peace plan to work, the Ukrainians and the Europeans have to be on board,” Kallas said. Wadephul also called for Europe to be “included” in such discussions. A prerequisite for negotiations is that Russian President Putin “ends his aggressive war of aggression against Ukraine and that there is a ceasefire, without any preconditions.”
Zelensky met with senior US Army officials in Kiev on Thursday. Since the change of government in Washington in January, only a few US representatives have visited Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Russian army reported further gains in territory in Ukraine and a visit from President Vladimir Putin. The commander of Western troops, Sergei Kusovlev, informed Putin about the “liberation of the city of Kupyansk” in northeastern Ukraine, according to a television report. The Ukrainian army, however, said on the Telegram online service that Kupyansk was still under its control.
Kupyansk is an important hub in the Kharkiv region. The city had around 55,000 inhabitants before the start of the war and had already been conquered by Moscow in the first days of the Russian war of aggression in 2022. However, it was later recaptured by Ukrainian forces.
