Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Ukraine has agreed in principle to a US-brokered peace deal aimed at ending its war with Russia, according to a senior American official, marking the most significant diplomatic movement since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The agreement, shaped by former President Donald Trump’s administration, is expected to form the basis of negotiations in the coming days, although key provisions remain unsettled.
“The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal,” the official said, noting that while the framework has been accepted, “some minor details” still need to be finalised before it can be formally endorsed.
The plan, which has been reduced from an earlier 28-point proposal to 19 points, omits several controversial clauses from initial drafts. Notably, it no longer includes guarantees of amnesty for wartime atrocities. Kyiv has agreed to cap its armed forces at 800,000 personnel, a revision to earlier American and Russian demands, and many of the most sensitive issues, including territorial disputes and long-term US security guarantees — have been left for direct discussions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Officials in Washington acknowledged that the new proposal tilts less in Moscow’s favour than earlier drafts, which Russia had shown more willingness to discuss. President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to reject the revised framework, a position that could prolong negotiations an outcome Trump has been eager to avoid.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that if the latest proposals discard “key understandings” allegedly reached between Trump and Putin during their Alaska summit in August, the “situation will be fundamentally different.” Earlier versions of the plan included a permanent ban on Ukrainian NATO membership, a 600,000-troop cap, the transfer of remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donbas to Russian control as a demilitarised zone, and the requirement that Ukraine hold national elections within 100 days. All of these provisions have since been watered down or set aside.
Zelensky confirmed ongoing negotiations with Washington, writing on X that he was “grateful for all of America’s efforts and personally for President Trump’s efforts.” He is expected to travel to the United States soon to meet with Trump directly in an attempt to settle the unresolved elements of the deal.
The diplomatic push has been driven in part by Trump’s appointment of US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll as his special envoy. Driscoll met Russian officials in the United Arab Emirates earlier this week for secret talks, following a weekend round of discussions with Ukrainian negotiators in Geneva. His role marks an unusual departure from standard diplomatic practice, as senior Pentagon officials are rarely placed in charge of high-stakes political negotiations.
American officials say momentum has been building. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US had made “tremendous progress toward a peace deal” by securing the engagement of both Kyiv and Moscow, though she acknowledged that “a few delicate, but not insurmountable, details” remain.
The diplomatic flurry has played out against a backdrop of renewed violence in Ukraine. Russian forces launched heavy overnight strikes on Kyiv, killing at least six civilians, including an elderly woman, and severely damaging residential buildings and critical infrastructure. Two key power plants supplying hot water to the capital were struck, alongside a hydroelectric facility, triggering widespread blackouts and transport disruptions.
Missile and drone attacks extended beyond Ukraine’s borders. A Russian drone flew roughly 50 miles into Moldova before crashing onto a residential roof, while separate Russian drones near Odesa entered Romanian airspace, prompting NATO to scramble fighter jets.
Ukraine responded with a series of strikes on southern Russia. Footage circulating online suggested that a misfired Russian air-defense missile caused significant damage to a residential building in Novorossiysk during Russia’s attempt to repel Ukrainian attacks. Russian authorities reported three deaths and at least 16 injuries across Novorossiysk, Rostov-on-Don, and Krasnodar.
Meanwhile, disagreements over the peace plan continue to reverberate internationally. At the G20 summit in South Africa, leaders from the EU, Canada, and Japan endorsed aspects of the Trump proposal as containing elements necessary for a “just and lasting peace,” while urging further refinement. European governments have raised concerns about territorial provisions and troop limits. A revised document drafted by Britain, France, and Germany argues that Ukraine’s troop cap should apply only “in peacetime” and asserts that any territorial discussions should begin from the current Line of Contact rather than pre-assigning areas to Russia. Their version also endorses a US security guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defense clause.
Despite the diplomatic unrest, American officials say talks remain on track. “The discussions are going well and we remain optimistic,” Lt. Col. Jeffrey Tolbert said, adding that Driscoll’s team is “closely synchronized with the White House.”
Whether Putin will engage seriously with the modified plan remains uncertain. Analysts caution that Moscow may seek to prolong fighting in hopes of securing more favorable conditions. But with both Ukraine and Russia under mounting military and political pressure, and Washington pressing for rapid progress, negotiations may soon enter the most consequential phase of the war.
