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A peace plan is currently in “full swing”, with negotiations between the governments of the United States and Ukraine to create a ceasefire and end the conflict with Russia.
Key points under the evolving 28-point peace plan, endorsed by the US government and US President Donald Trump, include agreements around NATO, trade, land ownership and demilitarisation.
The plan has already been presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who described it as a “vision” rather than a final settlement. All features and guarantees of the plan would be withdrawn if Russia or Ukraine attack the other without cause.
“Representatives of the United States and Ukraine met in Geneva for discussions on the US peace proposal. The talks were constructive, focused and respectful, underscoring the shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace,” according to a 23 November statement from the White House.
“Both sides agreed the consultations were highly productive. The discussions showed meaningful progress toward aligning positions and identifying clear next steps. They reaffirmed that any future agreement must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver a sustainable and just peace. As a result of the discussions, the parties drafted an updated and refined peace framework.
“The Ukrainian delegation reaffirmed its gratitude for the steadfast commitment of the United States and, personally, President Donald J Trump for their tireless efforts aimed at ending the war and the loss of life.
“Ukraine and the United States agreed to continue intensive work on joint proposals in the coming days. They will also remain in close contact with their European partners as the process advances.
“Final decisions under this framework will be made by the presidents of Ukraine and the United States.
“Both sides reiterated their readiness to continue working together to secure a peace that ensures Ukraine’s security, stability and reconstruction.”
The Ukraine side of the plan reportedly includes that frozen Russian assets will be mobilised to rebuild Ukraine and the country’s sovereignty would be confirmed; Ukraine would hold elections within 100 days of plan agreement; the country would receive reliable security guarantees, be able to join EU membership, agree to limit its Armed Forces to 600,000 personnel and be a non-nuclear state.
In addition, Ukraine would receive the creation of a Ukraine Development Fund and a World Bank special financing package.
In a significant territorial move, Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk would be held by Russia, while Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would held along a static line of contact.
The Ukrainian-held area of Donetsk Oblast will be vacated and become a neutral demilitarised buffer zone belonging to Russia. Russia would agree not to prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper River for commercial activities and both parties will reach an agreement on grain transport across the Black Sea.
Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko, speaking at the annual Military Communications and Information Systems Conference in Canberra last week, said, “For the past two years, Russians have been gaining ground incrementally at a huge cost,” he said.
“At the cost of 1,000 people per day of killed, wounded and captured, which is a high casualty rate … They’ve been able to sacrifice their people for the sake of those several square kilometers they were able to gain every day.
“Of course, they wish they could move much faster, but they are not. And the reason is that they cannot do it is because we are holding the ground.”
The Russian side of this new US plan reportedly includes possibilities, such as that sanctions could be lifted from the country; Russia could return to the G8 by invite; it would agree not to invade neighbouring countries and accept an agreement that NATO would not expand (Ukraine is restricted from joining in the future and no NATO troops will be stationed in Ukraine).
Russia would be reintegrated into the global economy and enshrine in law a policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine.
For both countries, all parties would get amnesty for their actions during the war in relation to war crimes as well as a comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. A Russia-NATO dialogue would be organised to de-escalate, with the US mediating. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland, while the US and NATO would treat an attack on Ukraine as that of one on the entire trans-Atlantic community.
In addition, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be relaunched as an equally distributed power provider between Russia and Ukraine (50/50 supervised by IAEA). Both countries would also agree to implement educational programs in schools and society to promote tolerance and reduce prejudice as well as abolish all discriminatory measures, guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education, and prohibit Nazi ideology.
The US side of the plan includes compensation; the US and Russia could agree to partner on long-term areas like AI, rare earths in the Arctic and mining; the US and Ukraine to cooperate on gas infrastructure; the US and Russia to occupy a joint American–Russian working group on security issues; Russia and the US would agree on non-proliferation and control of nuclear weapons treaties.
