US, Russia draw up plan for Ukraine, as EU leaders say they, Kyiv must be involved

Kyiv: The US and Russia have drawn up a plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine that calls for major concessions from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a person familiar with the matter. As reports emerged of the proposal, blindsided European diplomats insisted they and Ukraine must be consulted.

The plan, first reported by Axios, calls for major concessions from Ukraine, according to a person familiar with the matter, including granting Russia some of the major demands it has made repeatedly since it launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour nearly four years ago.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has been quietly working on the plan for a month, receiving input from both the Ukrainians and the Russians on terms that are acceptable to each side to

end the war, according to a senior US official who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trump, the official added, has been briefed on the plan and supports it.

The talk of a secret peace plan piled more pressure on Zelenskyy, who is also marshalling his country’s defences against Russia’s

bigger army, visiting European leaders to ensure they continue their support for Ukraine, and navigating a major corruption scandal involving the embattled energy sector that has caused public outrage.