In a recent development, Ukrainian authorities have convened with top Pentagon officials in light of reports suggesting that Moscow and Washington have drafted a peace plan, without the input of Kyiv or Brussels.
The plan reportedly requires Ukraine to make significant concessions. The proposed deal, which aligns with Russia's stringent demands since the onset of its full-scale invasion in 2022, was anticipated to be the focal point of the November 20 discussions in Kyiv. The meeting was attended by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and several high-ranking US military officers.
According to American Military News, the bilateral reconstruction fund, agreed upon by Kyiv and Washington in April, was also on the agenda. The fund was discussed in meetings that included President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. The specifics of the US-drafted proposal remain uncertain.
However, reports from The Financial Times, Reuters, and Axios suggest that it demands Kyiv to relinquish some of its territory and weaponry, reduce its armed forces, and accept a decrease in US military aid, which has been crucial in its battle against Russian forces.
The proposal also stipulates that no foreign troops would be permitted on Ukrainian soil, and Kyiv would cease to receive long-range weaponry. Ukrainian officials have yet to publicly respond to the reported deal. A Ukrainian official, privy to the proposal, confirmed its contents but declined to comment further.
President Zelenskyy has previously rejected Moscow's demands for Ukraine to cede territory or downsize its armed forces, arguing that such actions would only debilitate Ukraine and leave it susceptible to future invasions. Analysts have expressed skepticism about the 28-point proposal garnering support in Kyiv.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the proposed plans as a "list of potential ideas for ending the war," hinting at possible room for negotiations. "I hope the reporting in this story is not accurate, because what is outlined here is a really bad deal for Ukrainian, European, and American national interests," said Michael McFaul, a former US ambassador to Russia. He expressed his shock in a post to X.
Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat who resigned in protest of the Ukraine invasion, questioned the Kremlin's willingness to negotiate, given the terms of the reported deal. He criticized the proposal, likening it to a discussion of Ukraine's surrender. "What is there to talk about when you are offered the same thing that Putin has been saying since the beginning of the war: the demilitarization of Ukraine, denazification, and so on and so forth?" he asked during an interview with Current Time.
Following the circulation of the proposal news, Zelenskyy, who was visiting Ankara, posted a message on Telegram thanking Turkey's president for hosting the latest talks. He also commended the "decisive steps and leadership of President Trump [and] every strong and fair proposal to end this war. And only President Trump and the United States of America have enough strength for the war to finally end."
The proposals could potentially place Zelenskyy in a precarious position. Ukrainian forces, on the battlefield, are grappling to resist a larger, better-equipped Russian Army, despite Moscow's forces suffering significant casualties. Russia is nearing the vital city of Pokrovsk, in line with Putin's stated objective to control all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Russia continues to assault Ukraine's cities and energy infrastructure, aiming to demoralize the already weary Ukrainians.
Dan Fried, a former US diplomat and architect of US sanctions after Russia seized Crimea in 2014, described the reported deal as "a terrible plan." He suggested that it could be a deceptive strategy without any real substance. "Given past patterns, it could be a ploy without legs," he said in a post to X. "We'll know more soon. The administration's Ukraine policy moves are seldom as bad as one fears but not as good as one hopes."
The proposal news emerged less than 24 hours after a Russian cruise missile strike hit two apartment buildings in the western city of Ternopil, resulting in at least 26 fatalities and dozens of injuries. Rescue operations are ongoing in the rubble of the buildings, with Zelenskyy reporting at least 22 people still missing.
Domestically, Zelenskyy's political standing has been undermined by a significant corruption scandal involving some of his Cabinet ministers and longtime business associates. Ukrainian lawmakers have demanded Zelenskyy to dismiss his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
The corruption investigation pertains to allegations that funds allocated for building defenses to protect Ukraine's vulnerable energy infrastructure from Russian air attacks were diverted as kickbacks to political insiders.
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