Russia gets sanction relief, Ukraine loses Donbas and military strength: Trump's 28-point peace plan revealed

A draft peace proposal circulating between Washington, Kyiv and Moscow points to the most dramatic shift yet in the Ukraine war. The 28-point plan, which has US President Donald Trump's backing, could see Ukraine give up large parts of its east and accept deep limits on its military in exchange for a ceasefire. Here's all you need to know about Trump's Ukraine peace plan.

A peace plan with major concessions

The 28-point proposal would force Kyiv to surrender territory. Under the proposal, Ukraine would withdraw from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and recognise them, along with Crimea, as de facto Russian territory. The southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would be frozen along the current front lines. Russia controls roughly a fifth of Ukraine today, much of it battered by years of fighting.

No peacekeepers, no NATO troops

Ukraine would also have to pledge that it'll never join NATO. The military alliance, in turn, would agree not to station troops on Ukrainian soil. Kyiv's military would be cut to about 600,000 personnel, a reduction of nearly half. Plans for a European peacekeeping mission have also been shelved, since Moscow refuses to accept foreign troops of any kind. Instead, European fighter jets would be based in Poland as a form of indirect protection.

For Ukraine, these are major concessions. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects to discuss the plan with Trump "in coming days", adding that any agreement must deliver a "dignified peace" and preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty. Kyiv has long ruled out territorial concessions.

Moscow gets the upper hand? Sanction relief and more

The plan offers Russia a path back into the G8 and relief from Western sanctions, with a promise that penalties would return if it invades again. The only military expectation spelt out for Moscow is that it "will not invade neighbouring countries."

The timing has raised eyebrows. Kyiv is dealing with a corruption scandal that has cost two ministers their posts, while Russia has intensified its offensive in the east. As the draft circulated, Moscow claimed it had retaken the eastern city of Kupiansk, a claim Ukraine denied.

Did US and Russia work together on the document?

Washington insists the proposal, which it called a “working document,” was not drafted with Moscow, saying envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been working "quietly" with both sides for weeks. "It seems that the Russians proposed this to the Americans, they accepted it," a senior Ukrainian source told AFP.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the proposal "a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine," insisting "The president supports this plan." According to the plan, just like Gaza, Trump wants to chair a "peace council" to oversee the ceasefire. Since returning to office, Trump’s stance on the war has swung between frustration with Vladimir Putin and public spats with Zelensky. This plan marks his most direct attempt yet to force an end to the conflict.