By Brendan ColeShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberEuropean leaders have made suggested changes and deletions to a U.S. plan for peace in Ukraine in a document that has been reported by Reuters.
The continent’s E3 powers of the U.K., France and Germany takes as its basis the 28-point U.S. plan revealed last week, which has sparked accusations of being a capitulation to Russian demands.
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministries and the U.S. State Department for comment.
...Why It Matters
The 28-point plan from U.S. officials prompted criticism among Kyiv's advocates over its demands which include significant territorial concessions from Ukraine and limits on its military. Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, told Newsweek this was a “near-total reflection of Russia’s maximum wartime objectives.”
The White House said the plan was endorsed by President Donald Trump, although there is confusion after U.S. senators said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the document was not an American proposal but a Russian position leaked by Moscow.
The European version deletes and amends aspects of the original plan as frantic diplomatic efforts continue over the coming days and pressure grows on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
What To Know
European countries proposed their version of the Ukraine peace plan on Sunday that omits some of points made in the first American document and calls for Kyiv’s sovereignty to be respected.
The 28-point U.S. document revealed last week called for Ukraine hand over territory to Russia, limit the size of its army and not pursue Moscow for alleged war crimes.
But a European version, reported by Reuters, outlines a revamped version which instead called for negotiations over territory to take place after a ceasefire is agreed.
Unlike the White House document, the European version does not call for Kyiv to withdraw from cities it controls in eastern Donbas, which hosts Ukraine’s strongest fortifications and where analysts say could take years for Russia to fully occupy. It also does not rule out Ukraine’s membership of NATO, saying instead there is no consensus over its membership.
Other differences include European leaders proposing Russia giving the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which would split power 50-50 between Moscow and Kyiv.
Ukraine’s army would also be capped during peacetime at 800,000 soldiers, 200,000 more than in the American version.
Meanwhile, frozen Russian assets would also be used to reconstruct Ukraine, rather than being partly given to U.S. investors, under the terms of the European leaders.
If Moscow respected a “sustainable peace,” sanctions imposed since 2014 would be eased and see the country return to the G8.
The U.S. document was drawn up by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy, alongside Trump’s representative Steve Witkoff. It prompted speculation it was written in Russian and later translated into English, with experts saying it would reward Russian aggression.
Trump’s threats to cut intelligence and weapons to Ukraine if it did not accept the deal also raised alarm.
Richard Gardiner, senior analyst, strategic intelligence, at security and intelligence firm S-RM told Newsweek that Trump’s threat would increase pressure on Ukraine to accept a peace deal but would not trigger a sudden collapse of the front, given that Ukraine’s European allies, as well as Canada, outstripped the U.S. as Ukraine’s main suppliers.
However, the loss of U.S. intelligence sharing and key weapons systems, including air defenses and replacements for existing U.S.-supplied equipment, would be far more difficult for European partners to cover. Gardiner said.
...European Plan's Full Text:
1. Ukraine's sovereignty to be reconfirmed.
2. There will be a total and complete non-aggression agreement reached between Russia and Ukraine and NATO. All ambiguities from the last 30 years will be resolved.
(Point 3 of U.S. plan is deleted after a draft of that plan said: "There will be the expectation that Russia will not invade its neighbors and NATO will not expand further.")
4. After a peace agreement is signed, a dialogue between Russia and NATO will convene to address all security concerns and create a de-escalatory environment to ensure global security and increase the opportunity for connectivity and future economic opportunity.
5. Ukraine will receive robust Security Guarantees.
6. Size of Ukraine military to be capped at 800,000 in peacetime.
7. Ukraine joining NATO depends on consensus of NATO members, which does not exist.
8. NATO agrees not to permanently station troops under its command in Ukraine in peacetime.
9. NATO fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.
Loading twitter content...
10. U.S. guarantee that mirrors Article 5.
a. 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 any kind of recognition for the new territory and all other benefits from this agreement will be withdrawn.
11. Ukraine is eligible for EU membership and will get short-term preferred market access to Europe while this 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 Al efforts.
b. The United States will partner with Ukraine to jointly restore, grow, modernize and operate Ukraine's gas infrastructure, which includes its pipeline 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 progressively 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 Cooperation Agreement to pursue mutual development in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, AI, data centers, rare earths, joint projects in the Arctic, as well as various other mutually beneficial corporate opportunities.
c. Russia to be invited back into the G8.
14. Ukraine will be fully reconstructed and compensated financially, including through Russian sovereign assets that will remain frozen until Russia compensates damage to Ukraine.
15. A joint Security taskforce will be established with the participation of U.S., Ukraine, Russia and the Europeans to promote and enforce 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 agree to extend nuclear non-proliferation and control treaties, including Fair Start.
18. Ukraine agrees to remain a non-nuclear state under the NPT.
19. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will be restarted under supervision of the IAEA, and the produced power shall be shared equitably in a 50-50 split between Russia and Ukraine.
20. Ukraine will adopt EU rules on religious tolerance and the protection of linguistic minorities.
21. Territories:
Ukraine commits not to recover its occupied sovereign territory through military means. Negotiations on territorial swaps will start from the Line of Contact.
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 if there is 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 will hold elections as soon as possible after the signing of the peace agreement.
26. Provision will be made to address the suffering of victims of the conflict.
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. Ceasefire modalities, including monitoring, will be agreed by both parties under U.S. supervision.
What People Are Saying
Former Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko on X about the U.S. plan: "The main question is: does Putin have any intention to agree to any peace plan? Or is he interested in negotiations as long as they are the reason not to impose new U.S. sanctions on Russian oil?"
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said, as per the BBC: "Putin wants legal recognition to what he has stolen, to break the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty. That's the main problem."
Regarding the European proposals, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a statement: "The Kremlin has already previously explicitly rejected a number of these proposals, including the deployment of foreign troops to post-war Ukraine."
What Happens Next
The European counterproposal is likely to be welcomed by Zelensky and the Kremlin says it hasn't received an updated peace plan following the weekend's talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Geneva.
Rubio said that the push for a peace proposal, which he called a "living, breathing document" had been ongoing for weeks and would continue following Geneva, which suggests that no firm deadline had been set.
Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines
Add Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For You
NewsMaps Show Snow Risk for Each State Over Thanksgiving 2025 Holidays3 min read
NewsMost American Monarchists Don’t Want King Trump6 min read
NewsMiss Jamaica’s Sister Issues Health Update After Shocking Stage Fall2 min read
NewsMap Shows States Where COVID Is Rising Before Thanksgiving3 min read
NewsThanksgiving Week Weather Map Shows Forecast for Each State3 min read
NewsHistoric 1902 Skyscraper Is About to Change Forever—Pictures Show How3 min readRelated Podcasts
Top Stories
NewsDOGE Quietly Shuts Down With 8 Months Left on Mandate: Report4 min read
NewsUncommon Knowledge: Trump May Be Winning the Global Climate Change Debate6 min read
NewsAOC Preparing ‘Most Powerful’ Presidential Bid ‘Since Obama’—Fox News Host4 min read
NewsFormer Arizona News Anchor Sentenced For Pandemic Fraud: What To Know3 min read
PoliticsEurope Offers G8 Return to Russia for Ukraine Peace Deal8 min read
EntertainmentBollywood Legend Dharmendra Dead at 89: What We Know3 min readTrending
WeatherWinter Weather Alerts in 4 States As 18 Inches of Snow To Hit3 min read
Higher EducationFull List of Degrees Not Classed As ‘Professional’ by Trump Admin8 min readWeatherMaps Show Snow Risk for Each State Over Thanksgiving 2025 Holidays3 min read
Social SecuritySocial Security Issues Update on 2025 Changes4 min read
NFLNBC Celebrates Major Cris Collinsworth News Ahead of ‘Sunday Night Football’2 min readOpinion
Opinion‘AI Plus’ Is China’s Master Plan to Build an AI-Native Society by 2035 | Opinion5 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: The Trump and Mamdani Edition2 min read
OpinionConventional Wisdom: Price of Culture Edition3 min read
OpinionRemembering My Father Senator Robert F. Kennedy | Opinion4 min read
OpinionLatinos Catch the Fish. Why Aren’t They at the Decision-Making Table? | Opinion5 min read
