November 23, 2025
A 28-point peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine — promoted by the United States and reportedly drafted with Russian input — has sparked controversy in Kyiv, Washington and European capitals. Critics say the plan would grant Russia many of its demands while placing difficult concessions on Ukraine. US senators at the Halifax International Security Forum said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list” handed to a US mediator. Rubio and the State Department insist the plan was authored by the United States with input from both Russia and Ukraine.
Key points of the plan
Territorial
– The plan affirms Ukrainian sovereignty but recognizes Crimea and the Luhansk and Donetsk regions as de facto Russian territory; Ukraine would withdraw from areas it still controls in those regions.
– Borders in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would freeze along current front lines, creating a neutral buffer zone.
– Russia would relinquish other occupied areas outside those five regions, possibly in Sumy and Kharkiv, though details remain unclear.
– Russian forces must leave parts of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.
– Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant would restart, with power shared equally between Russia and Ukraine.
Security guarantees
– Ukraine would abandon plans to join NATO and prohibit NATO forces from being stationed in the country.
– NATO would commit to no further expansion.
– Ukraine would cap its military at 600,000 troops; Russia previously demanded cuts below 100,000.
– Russia must commit not to invade neighboring countries.
War crimes and ideology
– Kyiv would have to drop plans to pursue legal cases seeking to prove Russian war crimes.
– The plan calls for “all Nazi ideology or activity” to be renounced or forbidden, without referencing Ukraine explicitly.
Frozen Russian funds and sanctions
– $100 billion of Russian assets frozen by Western governments would be invested in rebuilding Ukraine, with neither Russia nor Ukraine having full control over spending.
– Ukraine could not seek war reparations.
– Russia would be able to rejoin the G8 and face a gradual lifting of sanctions.
Elections
– Ukraine would be required to hold elections within 100 days.
Political fallout and reactions
A bipartisan group of US senators described the draft as rewarding Russian aggression and called much of it unacceptable. Senator Jeanne Shaheen called it “a Russian proposal,” while Senator Mike Rounds said the Trump administration “was not responsible for this release in its current form” but wanted to use it as a starting point. Independent Senator Angus King compared the plan to the appeasement of 1938.
President Donald Trump has given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline until Thursday to accept the plan, saying, “He’s going to have to approve it.” Trump later said the proposal was not his final offer. Zelenskyy did not reject the plan outright but insisted on fair treatment and pledged to “work calmly” with Washington and partners in “one of the most difficult moments in our history.”
Rubio and State Department response
Marco Rubio pushed back on senators’ characterizations, posting on X that the “peace proposal was authored by the US” and is offered as a framework for negotiations, noting it is based on input from Russia and prior and ongoing input from Ukraine. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott called senators’ remarks “blatantly false,” reiterating that the plan was authored by the United States with input from both sides.
European and Ukrainian diplomacy
Germany, France and the United Kingdom plan to press the United States to revise the proposal. Security officials from the E3 will meet EU, US and Ukrainian counterparts in Geneva to discuss the plan. French President Emmanuel Macron said the proposal requires broader consultation, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed the importance of supporting Ukraine, warning that a Ukrainian defeat would affect European politics and the continent as a whole. Macron, Merz and Ukrainian officials described the initial draft as containing important elements for a just and lasting peace but said it would require additional work.
Context and next steps
The plan has raised particular concerns over proposals that would force Kyiv to cede territory, limit its armed forces, bar NATO membership and restrict legal accountability for alleged Russian war crimes. Whether the draft will serve as a viable starting point for negotiations remains contested: some Western allies call for substantial revisions and broader consultation, while the US administration maintains the document is its proposal for negotiations built on input from all parties. Meetings in Geneva and further diplomatic engagement are expected as allies seek to reconcile differences and determine whether any common framework can be found.