Ukraine 'told to accept' cash-for-land deal after secret Trump-Putin talks
Ukraine may be required to cede some territory to Russia and give up some weapons under the deal.
Ukraine could be pushed into leasing part of its territory to Russia under a controversial ceasefire proposal drawn up by the Trump administration, according to reports.
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The White House has reportedly urged the Ukrainian President to accept the terms of the deal, which also force him to cede some territory to Russia and give up weapons.
Washington and Moscow have been secretly hammering out the terms of the 28-point proposal inspired by the Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by Mr Trump in October.
The plan, revealed after a series of secret talks between US and Russian officials, would see Kyiv hand over control of the eastern Donbas region but keep legal ownership of the land.
In return, Moscow would pay a rental fee for its de facto control, officials familiar with the discussions told The Telegraph.
Under the proposals, Ukraine’s armed forces would be cut in half, barred from owning long-range missiles, and blocked from hosting foreign troops.
The deal would also shut down US military aid and prevent foreign diplomatic aircraft landing in the country.
Russian would be made an official state language, while the Russian Orthodox Church would be granted official status in occupied areas.
Ukraine would, however, be allowed to negotiate security guarantees from the US and European allies to uphold any ceasefire.
Read more: At least three dead and thousands without power as Russia hits Ukraine with wave of deadly strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected surrendering the entire Donbas as the price of peace. But ceding territory has long been a key demand of Vladimir Putin – one the Kremlin has pushed since his meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska in August.
Following pressure from Kyiv and Western governments, Mr Trump had publicly dismissed the idea, insisting that any ceasefire should be based on current frontline positions. But the newly-emerged plan suggests a different approach was being explored behind closed doors.
A lease arrangement would allow Ukraine to bypass its constitutional requirement to hold a public referendum on giving up territory – a vote that would almost certainly fail.
The Donbas, a resource-rich industrial region, could bring Moscow significant economic benefits. In exchange, Russia would be expected to pay a “ground fee” to compensate Kyiv for losing access to its land.
The revelations have also triggered turmoil in Washington. Shortly after details of the talks surfaced, Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, Mr Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, announced he was resigning. A close associate said he believed the administration was being misled by Moscow.
The terms would be major concessions for Mr Zelenskyy should he agree, sparking fears that Ukraine is once again being sidelined in peace talks.
However, the plan would also reportedly come with benefits for Ukraine, including a ceasefire, security guarantees and the upkeep of US-Ukraine relations, according to Axios.
Mr Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, reportedly discussed the plan with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Mr Zelenskyy’s security adviser Rustem Umerov after three days of talks in Miami last month, sources told Axios.
“We feel the Russian position is really being heard,” Mr Dmitriev said.
European countries have seemingly had no say in the plan, nor has Ukraine.
“What we are going to present [to Ukraine] is reasonable,” a senior White House official told Politico.
The Trump administration has for months been trying to force through a peace deal - with fiery bust-ups between Mr Tump and Mr Zelenskyy, and several shifts in the US’ stance towards Russia.
Last month, Mr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington to request increased US military support to fight Russia's war in Ukraine, but he was met with raised voices and condemnation by Trump and his cabinet as the pair discussed the war during a heated discussion.
Mr Trump was also seen to spout Putin's rhetoric, echoing that the conflict was a "special operation" and "not even a war."
He reportedly said Putin would "destroy" Ukraine if it did not concede to his terms - and urged Mr Zelenskyy to give up key areas of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, a planned meeting between Putin and Mr Trump was shelved just days after the White House announced the pair would meet in Budapest.
This week, Mr Zelenskyy confirmed he is working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia, which bring 1,200 Ukrainians home.
"We are ... counting on the resumption of POW exchanges," Mr Zelensky wrote on X. "Many meetings, negotiations and calls are currently taking place to ensure this."
On Monday, tens of thousands were left without power after Russia launched a series of deadly strikes on Ukraine.
At least three people were killed and a further 13 were injured as the Kremlin launched strikes on the city of Balakliia in Kharkiv.