Seda Sevencan
21 November 2025•Update: 22 November 2025
ISTANBUL
A draft 28-point peace plan approved by US President Donald Trump would require Ukraine to surrender additional territory to Russia, limit the size of its military, and formally abandon its bid to join NATO, according to the US-based Axios news website.
US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll delivered the written plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. Zelenskyy said afterward that he was ready to discuss the proposal with Trump’s team, describing it as a US “vision” rather than a final offer.
Axios cited a US official as saying that the plan is a “live document” subject to changes but insisted it is a fair framework that Washington expects Ukraine to consider seriously.
The draft, which Axios said it obtained and verified with a Ukrainian and US official, calls for Ukraine to cap its armed forces at 600,000 personnel and to amend its constitution to renounce NATO membership.
NATO, in turn, would formally agree never to admit Ukraine, and the alliance would be barred from stationing troops on Ukrainian soil.
The plan would recognize Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk as de facto Russian and freeze Kherson and Zaporizhzhia along the line of contact.
Ukrainian troops would also withdraw from parts of Donetsk they still control, which would become a neutral demilitarized buffer zone internationally recognized as part of Russia.
In return, the document says that any future Russian invasion would trigger a “decisive coordinated military response,” though it does not clarify whether the US would participate.
The proposal also includes a sweeping economic package: $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would be directed toward Ukraine’s reconstruction, with another $100 billion added by Europe.
Sanctions on Russia would be gradually lifted and Moscow would regain its seat in the G8.
The US and Russia would pursue long-term cooperation in sectors including energy, mining and artificial intelligence.
Ukraine would be required to hold national elections within 100 days of a deal. All parties to the conflict would receive full amnesty.
In a measure that would echo Trump‘s proposal for Gaza, the agreement would be legally binding and would be overseen by a Peace Council led by Trump. Violations would result in sanctions.
Axios cited Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev as saying that he is optimistic because “the Russian position is really being heard,” though President Vladimir Putin has not publicly endorsed the proposal.
