Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly indicated to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv may be forced to accept a peace deal with Russia that would involve significant territorial concessions and a reduction of Ukraine’s military capabilities.
According to reports, the proposed plan could see Ukraine cede control of its portion of the eastern Donbas region, halve the size of its army, and abandon certain key weapon systems. The United States would also scale back military assistance, a critical component of Ukraine’s defense against Russian advances. Additional elements of the plan reportedly include recognizing Russian as an official state language and granting official status to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.
The plan, which sources say has been discussed between U.S. and Russian officials, reportedly mirrors Trump’s approach to ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, with a focus on “peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, European stability, and future U.S. relations with Russia and Ukraine.” U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is said to be leading the development of the proposals, consulting extensively with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and briefing European officials.
Kyiv has reportedly had no role in drafting the proposals, but Ukrainian officials have received signals about the plan this week. The proposals have already sparked concern, as many of the measures cross red lines that Ukraine has consistently refused to accept, including Moscow’s demand that Kyiv renounce NATO membership ambitions and withdraw troops from territories claimed by Russia.
The announcement comes amid escalating challenges for Zelensky. Russian forces continue their offensive in eastern Ukraine, and the Ukrainian parliament recently dismissed key ministers amid a corruption scandal.
Despite these tensions, efforts to revive peace talks appear to be moving forward. Zelensky is scheduled to hold meetings in Turkey with President Tayyip Erdogan to discuss how to achieve a “just peace” in Ukraine, followed by talks with U.S. Army officials in Kyiv. Turkey, a NATO member, has maintained close ties with both sides and previously hosted the first rounds of peace talks in 2022.
The Kremlin, however, has indicated that Russian representatives will not participate directly in the talks, though it remains open to discussing results with the United States and Turkey.
Trump’s efforts to mediate an end to the war have so far been unsuccessful, and a planned summit with Putin in Budapest was abruptly cancelled last month. Meanwhile, Russian forces control roughly 19 percent of Ukrainian territory and continue to conduct frequent attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure as winter approaches.
