LONDON: The United States has signalled to President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine must accept a US-drafted framework to end the war with Russia that proposes Kyiv giving up territory and some weapons.

According to reliable sources, the proposals included cutting the size of Ukraine’s armed forces, among other things.

Such a plan would represent a major setback for Kyiv as it faces further Russian territorial gains in eastern Ukraine and with Zelensky tackling a corruption scandal, which on Wednesday saw parliament dismiss the energy and justice ministers.

The White House declined to comment on the matter.

A Ukrainian official earlier said that Kyiv had received “signals” about a set of US proposals to end the war that Washington has discussed with Moscow. Ukraine has had no role in preparing the proposals, the source said.

Zelensky, who held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday, is due to meet US Army officials in Kyiv on Thursday.

Signs of a renewed push by President Donald Trump’s administration to end the war triggered the biggest jump in Ukraine’s government bond prices in months.

No face-to-face talks have taken place between Kyiv and Moscow since a meeting in Istanbul in July and Russian forces have pressed on with Moscow’s nearly four-year-old war in Ukraine, killing 25 people in strikes overnight.

No change in Russia’s position

Efforts to revive peace negotiations appear to be gaining momentum, although Moscow has shown no sign of changing its terms for ending the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long demanded Kyiv renounce plans to join the US-led Nato military alliance and withdraw its [troops][4] from four provinces Moscow claims as part of Russia.

Moscow has given no indication that it has dropped any of those demands and Ukraine says it will not accept them.

Russian forces control about 19 per cent of Ukrainian territory and are grinding forwards, while carrying out frequent attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

Land in exchange for security

Axios reported on Wednesday, citing a US official with direct knowledge of the matter, that the new US plan envisaged Ukraine granting Moscow part of eastern Ukraine it does not currently control in return for a US security guarantee for Kyiv and Europe against future Russian aggression.

A European diplomat, commenting on the purported new US proposals, said they could be another attempt by the Trump administration “to push Kyiv into a corner”, but added there could be no solution that did not take into consideration Ukraine’s position or that of Washington’s European allies.

Another European diplomat said the suggestion that Ukraine cut its army seemed like a Russian demand rather than a serious proposal.

A US delegation, led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, is in Kyiv on a “fact-finding mission”, the US embassy in Kyiv said. Army Chief Gen Randy George is in the delegation and he and Driscoll will meet Zelensky on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2025