Donald Trump's major peace plan for Ukraine comes with unprecedented security guarantees, similar to those provided by NATO, according to sources. The president backed a 28-point draft plan—modeled on the Gaza agreement—saying that any attack on Ukraine would be considered an attack on the entire "transatlantic community."
However, the proposal, which was sent to Kyiv last night, has faced fierce criticism. It calls for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to give up land, cut down his troop, and hold elections within the next 100 days. Sources told Reuters that Washington has even threatened to cut all kinds of intelligence and weapons supplies to pressure Kyiv to accept the plan.
Trump's Big Peace Plan
"They want to stop the war and want Ukraine to pay the price," one of the sources said. The NATO-style security pledge comes after Ukraine, earlier this week, rejected a draft that offered only vague assurances. The new plan guarantees protection for Ukraine for 10 years, with the possibility of extending it later.
Sources said the U.S. is putting unprecedented pressure on Kyiv to accept the deal, as Trump is hell bent to end the war that has claimed 300,000 lives since Vladimir Putin's invasion in February 2022.
The U.S. reportedly wants Ukraine to agree to a framework for the plan by next Thursday.
"Being f***ing mind blown has become our norm," a senior lawmaker from Zelensky's party said.
In a national address on Friday, Zelensky reacted to the proposal by saying he would not "betray" Ukraine and would instead offer "alternatives" to the plan, which many view as conceding to several of Moscow's demands.
He described the moment as critical, saying his country faces the choice of "either losing its dignity or risking the loss of a key partner," and called it "one of the most difficult moments in our history."
Ukraine in Dilemma
Leaders from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom spoke with Zelensky over phone, reaffirming their support for Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's office said the four leaders "welcomed the commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and the readiness to provide strong security guarantees," in a statement that balanced backing Kyiv while avoiding confrontation with Trump.
Despite mounting pressure, Ukraine's top negotiator said on Friday that the country will not accept any deal that crosses its "red lines."
"There can be no decisions outside the framework of our sovereignty, the security of our people, or our red lines - now or ever," Kyiv's security council chief and negotiator Rustem Umerov said on social media.
A European government official described many aspects of the proposal as "quite concerning," noting that Ukraine's EU allies were not consulted during the peace efforts. The official warned that a poor deal for Kyiv could also jeopardize the broader security of the bloc.
Critics said Washington's draft appears to accommodate some of Moscow's demands, even as Russia's 2022 invasion has spiraled into Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.
Under the proposal, Moscow would not only keep the territories it currently occupies but also gain additional land controlled by Ukraine. The plan calls for Western nations to lift sanctions on Russia and for Moscow to be readmitted to the G8.
It would also put massive pressure on Zelensky, requiring Ukraine to hold elections within 100 days—a key demand from Moscow, which has repeatedly called for the Ukrainian leader's removal.
Zelensky said he plans to discuss the proposal with Trump in the "coming days," without indicating whether Kyiv would agree to any part of it. He stressed that Ukraine needs a "dignified peace."
"With a neighbor like Russia, defending one's dignity, freedom, and independence is an extremely difficult task," he said on Friday.
The European Union has not yet received the U.S. proposal, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it would be discussed on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa.
While Putin has not commented, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban—who maintains close ties with both Moscow and Washington—called it a "decisive moment" and said the coming weeks will be "crucial."
Earlier this week, reports surfaced suggesting that the U.S. and Russia were secretly working on a deal to end the war. However, the White House denied that any such proposal had been prepared in coordination with Moscow.
