28-point peace plan for Ukraine-Russia war, Europe’s amendments, and Geneva negotiations

UKRAINE, Nov. 25 — On Nov 19, Politico reported that the White House was preparing to present a peace proposal with Russia, which US officials expect to form the basis for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. On Nov. 21 several US media outlets presented this proposal. 

European allies of Ukraine and some US lawmakers, including Republicans, criticized the White House’s proposal. Some of them called it the list of Kremlin wishes. 

On Nov. 23, Ukraine and the US representatives met in Geneva to negotiate a peace proposal. 

Gwara journalist Viktoriia Mankovska has compiled the points of Trump’s proposal, European amendments to them, and made a summary of what we know so far about the negotiations between Ukraine and the US in the aftermath. 

28 points of the US peace plan

On Nov. 19, the Financial Times published the full text of Trump’s peace proposal that consisted of 28 points. 

Later, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France prepared a counterproposal to the US “peace deal” plan. Their amendments were designed to make this proposal more beneficial for Ukraine, reported Reuters. 

The counterproposal is based on the US plan but amends certain points, suggests excluding them, or offers minor wording changes. For example, Europe proposes to exclude provision 3, according to which Russia guarantees not to interfere in affairs of its neighbours, and NATO (guarantees) not to expand further. 

Below is a list of 28 points of the US peace plan with Europe’s amendments published by Reuters and the Center for Strategic and International Studies: 

1. Ukraine’s sovereignty will be confirmed.

2. A comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe. All ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered settled.

3. It is expected that Russia will not invade neighbouring countries and NATO will not expand further.

4. A dialogue will be held between Russia and NATO, mediated by the United States, to resolve all security issues and create conditions for de-escalation in order to ensure global security and increase opportunities for cooperation and future economic development.

5. Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees.

6. The size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be limited to 600,000 personnel.

Europe’s counterproposal: During peacetime, the size of the Ukrainian army will be limited to 800,000 personnel. 

7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to include in its statutes a provision that Ukraine will not be admitted in the future.

Europe’s counterproposal: Ukraine joining NATO depends on the consensus of NATO members, which does not exist.

8. NATO agrees not to station troops in Ukraine.

Europe’s counterproposal: NATO agrees not to permanently station troops under its command in Ukraine in peacetime.

9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.

10. The US security guarantee will have the following conditions:

• The US will receive compensation for the guarantee.
• If Ukraine invades Russia, it will lose the guarantee.
• If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a decisive coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be reinstated, recognition of the new territory and all other benefits of this deal will be revoked.
• If Ukraine launches a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg without cause, the security guarantee will be deemed invalid.

 Europe’s counterproposal: Deletes the final bullet and adds that the U.S. guarantee “mirrors Article 5”

11. Ukraine is eligible for EU membership and will receive short-term preferential access to the European market while this issue is being considered.

12. A powerful global package of measures for rebuilding will be provided to Ukraine, including but not limited to:

• The creation of a Ukraine Development Fund to invest in fast-growing industries, including technology, data centres, and artificial intelligence.
• The United States will cooperate with Ukraine to jointly rebuild, develop, modernise, and operate Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities.
• Joint efforts to rehabilitate war-affected areas for the restoration, reconstruction and modernisation of cities and residential areas.
• Infrastructure development.
• Extraction of minerals and natural resources.
• The World Bank will develop a special financing package to accelerate these efforts.

13. Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy:

• The lifting of sanctions will be discussed and agreed upon in stages and on a case-by-case basis.
• The United States will enter into a long-term economic cooperation agreement for mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centres, rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic, and other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities.
• Russia will be invited to rejoin the G8.

Europe’s counterproposal: The issue of lifting sanctions on Russia will be discussed and agreed upon in phases and on a case-by-case basis. 

14. Frozen funds will be used as follows: $100 billion in frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine. The US will receive 50% of the profits from this venture. Europe will add $100 billion to increase the amount of investment available for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Frozen European funds will be unfrozen. The remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle that will implement joint projects in specific areas. This fund will be aimed at strengthening relations and increasing common interests to create a strong incentive not to return to conflict.

Europe’s counterproposal: Europe suggests excluding the paragraph stating that the US will receive 50% of the profit of $100 billion from frozen Russian assets, which will be invested in rebuilding and investing in Ukraine.

15. A joint American-Russian working group on security issues will be established to promote and ensure compliance with all provisions of this agreement.

16. Russia will enshrine in law its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine.

17. The United States and Russia will agree to extend the validity of treaties on the non-proliferation and control of nuclear weapons, including the START I Treaty.

18. Ukraine agrees to be a non-nuclear state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

19. The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant will be launched under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the electricity produced will be distributed equally between Russia and Ukraine — 50:50.

20. Both countries undertake to implement educational programs in schools and society aimed at promoting understanding and tolerance of different cultures and eliminating racism and prejudice:

• Ukraine will adopt EU rules on religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities.
• Both countries will agree to abolish all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education.
• All Nazi ideology and activities must be rejected and prohibited.

Europe’s counterproposal: Ukraine will adopt EU rules on religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities (retains just the first bullet).

21. Territories:

• Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk (regions) will be recognised as de facto Russian, including by the United States.
• Of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia (regions) will be frozen along the line of contact, which will mean de facto recognition along the line of contact.
• Russia will relinquish other agreed territories it controls outside the five regions.
• Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk Oblast that they currently control, and this withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarised buffer zone, internationally recognised as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces will not enter this demilitarised zone.

Europe’s counterproposal: Ukraine commits not to recover its occupied sovereign territory through military means. Negotiations on territorial swaps will start from the Line of Contact.

22. After agreeing on future territorial arrangements, both the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertake not to change these arrangements by force. Any security guarantees will not apply in the event of a breach of this commitment.

23. Russia will not prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper (Dnipro) River for commercial activities, and agreements will be reached on the free transport of grain across the Black Sea.

24. A humanitarian committee will be established to resolve outstanding issues:

• All remaining prisoners and bodies will be exchanged on an ‘all for all’ basis.
• All civilian detainees and hostages will be returned, including children.
• A family reunification program will be implemented.
• Measures will be taken to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the conflict.

25. Ukraine will hold elections in 100 days.

Europe’s counterproposal: Ukraine will hold elections as soon as possible after signing the peace agreement. 

26. All parties involved in this conflict will receive full amnesty for their actions during the war and agree not to make any claims or consider any complaints in the future.

Europe’s counterproposal: Provision will be made to address the suffering of victims of the conflict.

27. This agreement will be legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by the Peace Council, headed by President Donald J. Trump. Sanctions will be imposed for violations.

28. Once all parties agree to this memorandum, the ceasefire will take effect immediately after both sides retreat to agreed points to begin implementation of the agreement.

The Congressional Ukrainian Caucus published a statement, in which they criticized Trump’s peace proposal. 

“The proposed ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine appears to favor the interests of the aggressor — Dictator Vladimir Putin — over the sovereignty and security of a democratic Ukraine. That is unacceptable,” they wrote. 

The Congressmen said that Russia’s interests aren’t limited by Ukraine’s borders, and Putin continues to strive for broader influences on Europe. They added that acceptance of this plan not only subordinates Ukraine’s independence to the Russian tyranny but makes Europe more vulnerable to future Russian aggression. 

Reuters, citing two sources, reported that the US threatened to stop exchanging intelligence data with Ukraine and freeze all military support to it to force Kyiv to accept the peace proposal. 

Negotiations between Ukraine and the US

The White House and Office of the President of Ukraine, in their joint statement, reported that there had been “tremendous amount of progress” after negotiations between Ukraine and the US representatives in Geneva on Oct. 23. 

Both sides agreed that any peace agreemet should fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and ensure lasting and fair peace. 

The statement didn’t provide any details about changes in the 28-point peace proposal. 

Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, added that any final decision about the peace proposal must be discussed between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also said that he is waiting for Russia’s reaction but expressed his confidence that the process can move forward. 

Donald Trump did not immediately comment on the news. But Rubio said the US president was “pleased” when he briefed him on the progress of the talks. According to the State Department, Rubio left Switzerland after the negotiations and headed back to Washington.

The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Andrii Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, told reporters that “very good progress” had been made at the talks in Geneva and that the parties were “moving towards a just and lasting peace that the Ukrainian people deserve.”

While negotiations were held in Geneva on Nov 23, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “there are signs that President Trump’s team is listening to us.” “A lot is changing: we are working very carefully on the steps needed to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in his evening video address, published before the joint statement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia had not received any plans for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine through official channels and was “closely monitoring” media reports on the results of the US-Ukraine talks in Geneva.

On Nov. 24, the Financial Times reported that following negotiations, the initial 28-point plan had been reduced to 19 points. However, it is not yet known which points were removed. 

Later, Oleksandr Bevz, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, wrote on Facebook that “the 28-point plan in the form in which everyone saw it no longer exists. Some of the points were removed, some were changed. None of the comments made by the Ukrainian side were left without a response.”

According to him, Ukraine and the US discussed each point of the “peace plan.” The presidents will make the final decisions on the most problematic issues.

On Nov. 25, a US official told ABC News that Ukrainian delegations agreed on Trump’s peace proposal, but there are minor details to be sorted. 

United States Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held secret negotiations with Russia and Ukraine delegations in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday, reported Axios. 

Chief of Ukrainian delegation Kyrylo Budanov heads the Ukrainian delegation and also holds talks with both American and Russian delegations. 

The US officials say that talks are going well and the US delegation remains optimistic. 

Cover photo: President of the United States Donald Trump / Photo: AP

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