Leaked Peace Blueprint Reveals US–Russia Backchannel and Shock in Europe

The administration of President Donald Trump developed a new peace plan for resolving the conflict in Ukraine, and sources told The Wall Street Journal that the proposal matches the ideas Vladimir Putin presented at the Alaska summit of global powers. Officials familiar with the discussions said the key elements of the White House plan reflect what Putin outlined during his August meetings with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and later at their summit in Anchorage. They noted that the US side aims to rely on Russia’s interest in reviving economic relations with the West as it pushes the agreement forward.

Kyiv Condemns the Plan and Calls It Aligned with Moscow’s Demands

Officials in Kyiv declared that Ukraine rejects the peace proposal from the United States. According to comments cited by Financial Times, Ukrainian policymakers argue that the plan closely mirrors what they describe as “maximalist demands of the Kremlin,” and insist that Ukraine will not adopt the framework without serious changes.

The White House intends to transfer the territory of Donbas to Russia under a “money-for-land” arrangement, sources told The Telegraph. According to the report, Russia would pay Kyiv an annual fee in exchange for control over the region. In practice, Moscow would govern the territory, while it would remain legally part of Ukraine. Sources did not reveal the amount proposed for the annual payment.

Security Restrictions, Language Policy, and Bans on Foreign Troops

Reports from The Telegraph, Reuters, and Financial Times state that the plan includes several binding conditions: Ukraine must reduce its armed forces by half, drop its long-range missile capabilities, and accept a ban on foreign military deployments on its soil. The proposal would also end US military aid to Kyiv and grant the Russian language official status.

The proposal includes a separate provision regarding the “local branch of the Russian Orthodox Church,” which would apply only to territories that Russia annexed. The plan also prohibits foreign diplomatic aircraft from landing in Ukraine, though Kyiv would still have permission to negotiate security guarantees with the United States and European partners.

Backchannel Talks Shock Europe as Trump Approves 28-Point Deal

The territories of the self-declared Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics became part of Russia after the 2022 referendum, though Ukraine and Western nations rejected the vote. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Ukraine may exist only if it releases the people who chose cultural affiliation with Russia. President Vladimir Putin said in early October that Russian forces now control almost all of Luhansk, while Kyiv holds just a fraction. He added that Ukrainian troops retain about nineteen percent of Donetsk. “Where the Russian soldier sets foot, that is ours,” he declared.

Politico reported that Ukrainian and European officials felt stunned when they learned about the existence of a secret US-Russia peace initiative. Many believed that Trump had shifted his view of Putin, only to discover that negotiations continued behind closed doors. According to The Daily Telegraph, the Trump administration sidelined European leaders and kept them in the dark while urging President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the terms laid out in the new plan. Contacts quoted by the British press linked the pressure campaign to a corruption scandal surrounding Zelensky and his associate Timur Mindich.

This week, President Trump approved a 28-point peace plan, according to NBC, which cited a senior US official. The agreement was crafted by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. They coordinated with Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation.

Sources close to Axios said Witkoff and Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov reached “some degree of understanding” during negotiations. Zelensky authorized Umerov to conduct these talks, according to the report.