Trump’s Plan Urges Ukraine To Cede Donbas To Putin, US To Recognise Crimea As Russian: Report

Last Updated:November 20, 2025, 01:15 IST

The plan envisions large concessions from Ukraine and also urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept it.

The Trump administration and Russian officials have drafted a peace proposal to end the Russia–Ukraine war that could see Kyiv give up the entire Donbas region and cut its armed forces by half, according to the Financial Times, which first reported the development.

The report said that one of the architects of the plan is Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and that the plan is still at a framework stage.

Officials told the Financial Times that the plan was conveyed to Kyiv by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, this week. Witkoff had recently met the current secretary of the national security and defence council of Ukraine and former defence minister, Rustem Umerov, in Miami to go over the 28 points of Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan.

Officials highlighted that Witkoff made it clear that he wanted Zelenskyy to accept the terms even though there were points which were red lines for Kyiv.

Along with Ukraine ceding eastern Donbas and cut its armed forces size by half, the plan also envisions Ukraine to abandon key categories of weaponry and would include the reduction of US military assistance, which Kyiv has depended on to fight Russia.

The plan also says that no foreign troops can be allowed on Ukrainian soil and Kyiv would no longer receive western long-range weapons that can reach deep inside Russia.

The plan would also urge Ukraine to recognise Russian as an official state language and to grant official status to the local branch of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Territorial Concessions

A separate report by Axios said that, under the proposal, the US and other countries would recognise Crimea and the Donbas as legally part of Russia, though Ukraine itself would not be required to do so.

Crimea has been at the centre of the conflict since 2014, when Russia annexed the peninsula following a referendum held under military occupation.

The move was condemned by Ukraine and most Western governments, which continue to regard Crimea as Ukrainian territory under international law.

Moscow, however, considers the region fully integrated into the Russian Federation.

According to the 28-point Trump plan, Russia would gain full de facto control of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions — collectively the Donbas — even though Ukraine still holds about 14.5% of that territory, based on the latest analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.

The areas from which Ukraine would withdraw in the Donbas would become a demilitarised zone where Russia would not be permitted to station troops despite exercising control.

In the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the plan proposes largely freezing current lines of control, with Russia returning certain pockets of land subject to negotiation.

How Has Ukraine Reacted

Officials in Kyiv briefed on the proposal told the Financial Times that the plan mirrors the Kremlin’s “maximalist demands and would be a non-starter for Ukraine” unless substantially revised.

However, one person familiar with the discussions struck a more cautious note, saying “the Americans are pressing Moscow to clearly articulate what their expectations actually are to actually start the negotiations.”

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se…Read More

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se… Read More

Read More