No formal US peace offer received, says Moscow after details leaked

Russia says it has not yet received any formal communication from Washington regarding a proposed US peace initiative, even as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled a willingness to examine the Trump administration’s “vision” for ending the conflict. Details of the draft plan, widely leaked in recent days, include several conditions Kyiv has previously rejected. These range from giving up parts of the eastern Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control, to scaling back the size of Ukraine’s military, and committing not to seek NATO membership. The concessions lean heavily toward Moscow’s interests, prompting a measured response from Zelensky’s office on Thursday (Nov 20).

The leaks emerged as Russian forces continued their attacks. Overnight strikes killed six people: five in the Zaporizhzhia region in the south and one in the Dnipropetrovsk region to the east. Moscow has also reported marginal territorial gains, while Zelensky faces growing political pressure at home linked to a $100m corruption scandal involving senior officials.

The White House has rejected accusations that Kyiv was excluded from shaping the proposal. According to US officials, the document was drafted shortly after discussions between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Rustem Umerov, a top Ukrainian official who allegedly supported most of the plan’s points. However, Umerov wrote on Telegram that he neither endorsed nor assessed the proposal, stressing that Ukraine is still “carefully reviewing” suggestions from its partners.

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Zelensky has avoided outright criticism of the initiative, instead expressing appreciation for President Trump’s “efforts to restore European security”, a gesture interpreted by some as an attempt to avoid alienating the US administration despite its perceived concessions to Russia. His office said the plan could, in Washington’s view, “revive diplomatic efforts.” Zelensky expects to speak with Trump about the proposal soon.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov confirmed Russia has seen “new elements” in the discussion but said no official documents had been submitted and no substantive talks had taken place. Moscow maintains it is “fully open” to negotiations but insists any settlement must address what it calls the “root causes” of the war, language Kyiv views as code for sweeping demands amounting to capitulation. Tensions have risen between Washington and Moscow, with Trump imposing new sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies on Friday after what officials described as growing frustration over stalled talks.

Kyiv and European leaders have consistently called for a “fair and lasting” peace that prevents any further Russian territorial expansion. Yet EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she had seen no sign Europe was involved in shaping the US proposal, noting that any workable plan must include both Ukraine and its European allies. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul described the document not as a complete proposal but as a “set of ideas and options.”

Among its provisions, the draft plan reportedly limits Ukraine’s armed forces to 600,000 personnel, places European fighter jets in Poland rather than Ukraine, and requires Kyiv to give up many of its weapons. It promises “reliable security guarantees,” though without specifics. The document also expresses expectations that Russia will refrain from attacking neighboring states and that NATO will halt further expansion.

The plan further proposes reintegrating Russia into global economic and political structures, including lifting sanctions and inviting Moscow back into the G7, restoring the group’s former G8 format.