Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautiously welcomed a new US-backed peace proposal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, calling it a potential basis for a “final peace settlement” while insisting that detailed negotiations are still needed.
“We are ready for peace negotiations… but this naturally requires a substantive discussion of all the details,” Putin told a meeting of Russia’s Security Council on Friday, referring to a revised 28-point plan drafted in Washington.
The plan, seen by several media outlets, closely mirrors many of Moscow’s long-standing demands. It would require Ukraine to:
- Hand over or “de facto” cede Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea and large parts of Donetsk, Luhansk and other regions.
- Cap the size of its armed forces at 600,000 troops.
- Enshrine in its constitution a permanent renunciation of NATO membership, while NATO pledges never to admit Ukraine or station troops there.
In return, Ukraine would receive a set of “security guarantees” from the US and its allies and access to a large reconstruction and investment package, though critics say many provisions are vague and heavily weighted in Russia’s favour.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected giving up sovereign territory and on Friday warned the country faces one of the hardest moments in its modern history. In a nationwide address, he said Ukraine may be confronted with a “very difficult choice: either loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner,” a clear reference to growing pressure from Washington to accept the deal.
Zelenskyy vowed not to “betray” Ukrainians, promising to work “constructively” with the US to propose changes but stressing that Kyiv would not accept terms that undermine its sovereignty or reward aggression.
The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is quietly warning Kyiv that US military and financial support could be scaled back if Ukraine refuses to sign by Thanksgiving, a deadline many European officials have privately criticised as unrealistic and destabilising.
European leaders are expected to discuss a counter-proposal more acceptable to Kyiv on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg this weekend, insisting on the principle of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
On the battlefield, Russian forces continue to press along several sections of the front, while Ukraine braces for another harsh winter under bombardment — and for what Zelenskyy describes as “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history.”
