Reports have emerged that the United States and Russia have secretly formulated a 28-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, a proposal that could force Kyiv to make significant concessions to Moscow without having been involved in the negotiations.

The plan, first reported by Axios and followed by other outlets, allegedly includes proposals for Ukraine to cede territory in the eastern Donbas region to Russia, abandon certain categories of weaponry, and reduce the size of its armed forces by 50%. One report suggested a scenario where Russia would take control of Donbas while Ukraine maintains legal ownership, with Moscow effectively paying rent.

The reports surfaced as senior U.S. military officials visited Ukraine on a "fact-finding mission." The Kremlin has denied any "innovations" in peace proposals since the August meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The White House has not explicitly confirmed the plan's existence, but U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the administration is "developing a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is expected to discuss peace proposals with the U.S. delegation, has previously expressed that "only President Trump and the United States have sufficient power to make this war come to an end." However, Ukrainian officials have shown skepticism, with First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia suggesting Moscow was behind a push to promote "a factory of unrealistic plans."

European diplomats have expressed discontent with the reported lack of involvement from Ukraine and regional partners. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized that "for any plan to work, it needs to have Ukrainians and Europeans on board," noting that "we haven't heard of any concessions from Russia's side."

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War warned that if verified, the plan would represent "Ukraine's full capitulation" and would set conditions for renewed Russian aggression, concluding that the reported demands are fundamentally the same as Russia's maximalist territorial goals from the initial 2022 invasion.