By Janet Ekstract, ISTANBUL – On November 22, U.S. President Donald Trump slapped fresh sanctions on Russia in light of its unwillingness to come to the negotiating table to end the war it began four years ago. According to the BBC, a senior U.S official did confirm that special envoy Steve Witkoff was “quietly working” on a plan with input from Ukrainians and Russians “on what terms are acceptable to them to end the war.” The official told the BBC that “Both sides will have to make concessions, not just Ukraine,” but it’s common knowledge that Russia’s terms for coming to the negotiating table include demands that Ukraine finds untenable. According to three major news outlets – Axios, the Financial Times and Reuters, current plans call for Ukraine to surrender areas of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine that it still controls, make major cuts to the size of its armed forces and give up most of its weapons. Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas cautioned that if any plan can work then it must have Ukrainians and European allies in agreement. As French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said: “the Ukrainians do not want any form of capitulation.”
Neither the EU or Ukrainian officials have had any involvement in the new proposal, according to news sources. Senior Pentagon officials are in Ukraine, according to the U.S. military, to “discuss efforts to end the war” with Russia. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and will speak with President Zelensky. On November 19, there were reports that the U.S. and Russia had prepared a new proposal framework for ending the war that requires major concessions from Ukraine which it’s doubtful that Ukraine’s President Zelensky will agree to. The Trump administration said Trump is “frustrated” with Russia and Ukraine for not committing to a peace agreement while his team was working on a “detailed and acceptable” peace plan. The proposal comes amid a domestic crisis for Zelensky, implicating top Ukrainian officials in a $100M corruption scandal while Russia continues to make small territorial gains in eastern Ukraine.
According to an unnamed U.S. official, the plan was drawun up “immediately” following discussion with Rustem Umerov, one of the most senior members of Zelensky’s administration and that he agreed to the majority of it. Umerov wrote on Telegram that he didn’t provide any assessments or approvals of the plan, and said Ukraine was still “carefully considering our partners’ proposals.” Meanwhile, most political analysts agree as would the EU that with any peace proposal to be signed with Russia that security gurantees are a top priority. Experts and analysts point out that it also makes sense that if Ukraine significantly reduces its military that Russia would be required to do the same. If Ukraine is being asked to do the impossible then Russia needs to be made accountable by giving up some of its significant demands as well. Zelensky said he plans to discuss the 28-point draft proposal with Trump very soon while Russia has indicated that it did have contact with the U.S. on the proposal but that it is not in negotiations.
