WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will have to like a U.S.-backed peace plan to halt Russia's invasion and ultimately approve it, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday.
Trump, speaking in the Oval Office after a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, repeated that he had expected to resolve the war much soonergiven his good relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding, "It does take two to tango."
Trump said the approaching winter, the mounting death toll and repeated attacks on Ukrainian energy plants underscored the urgency of ending the war.
"We have a plan. It's horrible what's happening," Trump said. "We have a way of getting peace, or we think we have a way of getting to peace. He's going to have to approve it," he added, referring to Zelenskiy.
Washington's 28-point plan calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and renounce ambitions to join NATO. It also contains some proposals Moscow may object to and requires its forces to pull back from some areas they have captured, according to a draft seen by Reuters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has previously refused to budge on Russia's key territorial and security demands, said on Friday the U.S. plan could be the basis of a final resolution to the nearly four-year-old conflict. He said Kyiv was against the plan but neither it nor its European allies understood the reality of Russian advances in Ukraine.
Zelenskiy warned on Friday that Ukraine risked losing its dignity and freedom — or Washington’s backing — over a U.S. peace plan that endorses key Russian demands.
Asked about Zelenskiy's comment, Trump said he had told Zelenskiy at an Oval Office meeting in February that the Ukrainian leader didn't "have the cards" to end the conflict solely on his terms.
"At some point, he's going to have to accept something he hasn't accepted," he said. "I thought he should have made a deal a year ago, two years ago. The ultimate deal would have been if it never started."
Draft of US-backed peace proposal for Ukraine
Nov 21 (Reuters) - Here is the text of a draft version of the 28-point peace plan for Ukraine backed by the United States, according to a copy seen by Reuters.
1. Ukraine's sovereignty to be reconfirmed.
2. There will be a total and complete comprehensive non-aggression agreement between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. All ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered resolved.
3. There will be the expectation that Russia will not invade its neighbours and NATO will not expand further.
4. A dialogue between Russia and NATO, moderated by the United States, will convene to address all security concerns and create a de-escalatory environment to ensure global security and increase the opportunities for connectivity and future economic opportunity.
5. Ukraine will receive robust security guarantees.
6. The size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be capped at 600,000.
7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to pass in its bylaws not to accept Ukraine at any point in the future.
8. NATO agrees not to station any troops in Ukraine.
9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
10. The U.S. guarantee:
a. The U.S. to receive compensation for the guarantee;
b. If Ukraine invades Russia, it forfeits the guarantee;
c. If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a robust coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be restored and recognition for the new territory and all other benefits from this agreement will be withdrawn;
d. If Ukraine fires a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg then, the security guarantee will be considered null and void.
11. Ukraine is eligible for EU membership and will get short-term preferred market access to the European market while this issue is being evaluated.
12. Robust Global Redevelopment Package for Ukraine including but not limited to:
a. Creation of Ukraine Development Fund to invest in high-growth industries including technology, data centers, and AI efforts.
b. The United States will partner with Ukraine to jointly restore, grow, modernize, and operate Ukraine's gas infrastructure, which includes its pipelines and storage facilities.
c. A joint effort to redevelop areas impacted by the war to restore, redevelop and modernize cities and residential areas.
d. Infrastructure development.
e. Mineral and natural resource extraction.
f. A special financing package will be developed by The World Bank to provide financing to accelerate these efforts.
13. Russia to be re-integrated into the global economy:
a. Sanction relief will be discussed and agreed upon in phases and on a case-by-case basis.
b. The United States will enter into a long-term Economic Co-operation Agreement to pursue mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, rare earth metal projects in the Arctic as well as other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities.
c. Russia to be invited back into the G8.
14. Frozen funds will be used as follows:
$100 billion of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a US-led effort to reconstruct and invest in Ukraine. The US will receive 50% of the profits from this venture. Europe will match this $100 billion contribution to increase the investment available to rebuild Ukraine.
The European funds that are frozen will be released. The balance of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russia investment vehicle that will pursue joint United States Russia projects in areas to be defined. This fund will aim to strengthen the relationship and increase joint interests to build a strong motivation not to return to conflict.
15. A joint US-Russian Security taskforce will be established to promote and enforce compliance with all of the provisions of this agreement.
16. Russia will legislatively enshrine a non-aggression policy towards Europe and Ukraine.
17. The United States and Russia will agree to extend nuclear non-proliferation control treaties, including the START I Treaty.
18. Ukraine agrees to be a non-nuclear state under the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons).
19. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be restarted under supervision of the IAEA, and the produced power shall be equitably in a 50-50 split between Russia and Ukraine.
20. Both countries commit to education programs in schools and throughout their society that promotes the understanding and tolerance of different cultures and eliminates racism and bias:
a. Ukraine will adopt EU rules of religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities.
b. Both countries agree to repeal all discriminatory measures and guarantee the rights of Ukrainian and Russian media and education.
c. All Nazi ideology or activity should be renounced and forbidden.
21. Territories:
a. Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk to be recognized De-Facto as Russian, including by the United States.
b. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to be frozen at the contact line, which would mean a De-Facto recognition at the contact line.
c. Russia to give up other agreed upon territories they control outside of the five regions
d. Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk region that they currently control, and this withdrawal area will be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces will not enter this demilitarized zone.
22. Once future territorial arrangements have been agreed, 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 obligation.
23. Russia shall not obstruct Ukraine's use of the Dnieper River for purposes of commercial activities and agreements will be reached for grain shipments to move freely through the Black Sea.
24. A humanitarian committee will be established to resolve open issues:
a. All remaining prisoners and bodies will be exchanged on the principle of 'all for all'.
b. All civilian detainees and hostages will be returned, including children.
c. There will be a family reunification program
d. Provisions will be made to address the suffering of victims from the conflict.
25. Ukraine to hold elections in 100 days.
26. All parties involved in this conflict will receive full amnesty for wartime actions during the war and agree not to pursue claims or further settle grievances.
27. This agreement will be legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by a Board of Peace, Chaired by President Donald J. Trump. There will be penalties for violation.
28. Upon all sides agreeing to this memorandum, a ceasefire will be immediately effective upon both parties withdrawing to the agreed upon points for the implementation of the agreement to begin.