U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing Ukraine to accept a new peace proposal built around sweeping Russian demands, giving Kyiv until Nov. 27 to decide whether it will accept the demands or lose American support.

The push marks Trump’s latest attempt to end Russia’s all-out war, now approaching its fourth year, and as President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 21, “Ukraine may soon face an extremely difficult choice. Either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”

The Kyiv Independent unpacks why this new U.S. push is different in substance, timing, and the people driving it.

What is the 28-point peace plan for Ukraine?

At the center of Trump’s proposal is a sweeping territorial concession: Ukraine would surrender the entire eastern Donbas region — both Russian-occupied areas and the parts still controlled by Ukrainian troops.

While Russia has occupied all but a few villages in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine continues to hold significant parts of Donetsk Oblast, including key cities Pokrovsk, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk.

Under the plan, Ukrainian forces would withdraw from these remaining areas, which would then be designated a demilitarized zone.

The territory would be internationally recognized as belonging to Russia, though Russian troops would be prohibited from entering the zone.

The framework also envisions de facto recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk — not by Ukraine, but by the United States.

Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts would be frozen along the current front line, locking in Moscow’s advances.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces would be capped at 600,000. Kyiv would pause its NATO aspirations and agree not to host foreign troops, remaining a non-nuclear state.

In return, the Kremlin would pledge not to attack Ukraine or other European countries and codify that commitment in Russian law.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has a history of bending Russia’s legal framework — first to extend presidential terms, then to nullify them — raising doubts that such a pledge would endure.

The economic component of the plan is ambiguous.

It calls for Russia’s reintegration into the global economy, lifting sanctions in stages while launching U.S.-Russia cooperation on energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and rare-earth projects. Russia would eventually return to what is now the G7.

Frozen Russian assets would be partially redirected to rebuild Ukraine — matched by European contributions — while the rest would finance joint U.S.-Russian ventures.

Western governments froze around $300 billion in Russian sovereign assets following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Kyiv has repeatedly urged the G7 and EU to move from freezing to confiscating those funds and using them to finance Ukraine’s defense.

At the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, currently under Russian occupation, the plan proposes restarting operations under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight. Electricity would be split equally between Russia and Ukraine.

Before Russia seized the nuclear power plant in 2022, the plant generated around 20% of Ukraine’s electricity.

The plan also includes a U.S. security commitment: Any future Russian attack would trigger a “decisive coordinated military response,” alongside the immediate reinstatement of sanctions.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the Kyiv Independent that the proposal aims to provide “full security guarantees and deterrence” while creating financial opportunities for Ukraine’s reconstruction and Russia’s reentry into the global economy.

“This plan was crafted to reflect the realities of the situation… to find the best win-win scenario, where both parties gain more than they must give,” she added.

Putin said that the proposal had been under discussion during the Alaska meeting, claiming Washington had asked Moscow to “show flexibility” — and that Russia agreed.

He described the 28-point document as a “modernized” version of those earlier talks.

Putin added that the U.S. has not discussed the plan publicly beyond broad outlines, but argued it could serve as a basis for negotiations with Ukraine.

Who is behind this plan?

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has been shaping the plan in direct coordination with Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s top economic negotiator and one of the Kremlin’s main backchannel operators, according to a source in Ukraine’s President’s Office.

A senior U.S. official told the Kyiv Independent that Witkoff spent the past month collecting feedback from both Kyiv and Moscow.

But his involvement runs deeper.

The Kyiv Independent has learned from a source familiar with the matter that he is operating a shadow channel inside the White House with Dmitriev, undermining pro-Ukraine figures.

A real estate mogul before entering government, Witkoff has no diplomatic background, yet has become one of the central architects of a proposal that closely resembles the Kremlin’s terms.

What makes the timing of this peace proposal different from previous plans?

This proposal arrives at a moment of acute pressure for Ukraine — militarily, politically, and economically.

On the battlefield, Russian forces continue advancing toward Pokrovsk, the main target of Moscow’s offensive. The city has become the center of a 10–15 kilometer (5–10 mile) “killzone,” where Russian strikes have cut off Ukrainian supply routes, forcing troops to travel on foot.

Prominent activist Serhii Sternenko warned on Nov. 17 that Ukraine faces a “disaster of strategic magnitude,” citing repeated failures to build fortifications and prepare new defensive lines.

“Our defense is falling apart,” Sternenko, who works closely with various military units to supply their immediate needs, such as drones, said. “Under a stunning silence about it.”

Russian forces have even opened sudden fronts this year in Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy oblasts.

The Kyiv Independent also learned from a senior U.S. official that Washington views Ukraine’s worsening energy situation as urgent. Russia continues to strike the power grid ahead of winter.

But the political pressure may be even heavier.

Ukraine is reeling from a corruption scandal — the largest of Zelensky’s tenure.

The scandal stems from an investigation alleging that Timur Mindich, a close Zelensky ally, ran a scheme skimming kickbacks from energy construction and procurement — including projects to fortify Ukraine’s energy infrastructure — and laundering the profits.

Eight suspects have been charged, including figures tied to presidential associates and several ministers. National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov is under investigation, though he has not been charged.

A Kyiv Independent source familiar with the U.S. proposal said the Kremlin has hardened its maximalist conditions, sensing Ukraine’s worsening position on the front lines and exploiting the fallout from the corruption scandal.

Against this backdrop, Trump appears unusually impatient.

“I’ve had a lot of deadlines,” Trump told Fox News. “But Thursday is it.”

Umerov controversy

Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), told the Kyiv Independent that Umerov has been representing Ukraine in the ongoing peace talks.

The plan’s rollout has already caused turbulence in Kyiv. A senior U.S. official contradicted Umerov’s earlier claim that he had not modified any clauses in the peace plan.

The issue centers on a point that originally proposed an audit of all international aid to Ukraine.

In a later version, the clause was altered to offer “full amnesty for actions during the war” for all parties, including Russia, despite its widespread, well-documented war crimes.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine changed the clause, with its correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov saying Umerov was responsible.

Umerov, who earlier served as defense minister, dismissed the reports as “unverified information,” saying he only organized meetings and did not approve or change any points.

But the senior U.S. official told the Kyiv Independent this was false.

“This plan was drawn up immediately following discussions with one of the most senior members of Zelensky’s administration, Umerov, who agreed to the majority of the plan, after making several modifications, and presented it to Zelensky,” the official said.

When asked why Umerov would push for such a change, a pro-government Ukrainian lawmaker told the Kyiv Independent that “maybe it’s related to the investigation.”

A source in the President’s Office told the Kyiv Independent that reports about Umerov signing on the plan “are fake.”

What was Zelensky's reaction?

Ukraine’s President’s Office confirmed on Nov. 21 that Zelensky has received “a draft plan which, according to the American side, could revitalize diplomacy.”

The Ukrainian president avoided rejecting the plan outright.

After his meeting with U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who was visiting Kyiv, Zelensky said teams from Ukraine and the U.S. will work on points of the plan to end the war.

“We are ready for constructive, honest, and efficient work,” he added.

In a national address on Nov. 21, he said Ukraine is facing “one of the most difficult moments,” describing the diplomatic environment as “complicated” and acknowledging the risk of damaging key alliances.

“Ukraine may soon face an extremely difficult choice,” he said.

“Either 28 complicated points or the hardest winter yet — and the risks that follow.”

He said Ukraine’s position will be based on national priorities.

“We will pursue a calm dialogue with America and all of our partners,” he added. “There will be a constructive search for solutions with our main partner.”

What are Ukraine's allies saying?

The Kyiv Independent learned from multiple sources that European partners were not included in drafting the U.S. plan — nor was Ukraine.

Zelensky held a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Nov. 21, discussing both the U.S. plan and the broader European security picture.

“We are working on a document prepared by the American side. It should be a plan that will ensure a real and dignified peace,” Zelensky said after the call.

EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned that any peace plan must include Ukraine and Europe.

“We have not heard of any concessions on the Russian side. If Russia really wanted peace, it could have agreed to an unconditional ceasefire already some time ago,” she said.

What happens next?

In his address, Zelensky warned Ukrainians that the coming week “will be very difficult and eventful,” with political and information pressure intensifying.

Kyiv plans to “work” with the U.S. and search for “constructive solutions,” he added.

With Trump’s deadline to sign the peace deal by Thanksgiving looming, the next steps are uncertain — and closely watched in Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow.