Recently, the Trump administration has been working closely with Russia to draft a new 28-point ceasefire proposal for Russia and Ukraine, requiring Ukraine to cede some eastern territories it still controls in exchange for security guarantees from the US and Europe.
The proposal also includes downsizing the Ukrainian military, relinquishing key weapons, adjusting military aid, and even touches on highly sensitive issues within Ukraine such as language and religious status—for example, making Russian an official language of Ukraine and granting official status to the Russian Orthodox Church branch.
According to an exclusive report by US media Axios, American officials revealed that the new Trump team proposal would grant Russia 'complete de facto control' over Luhansk and Donetsk (collectively known as the Donbas region), even though Ukraine still controls about 12% of that area. At the same time, some zones to be vacated by Ukrainian troops would be designated as demilitarized zones where Russian forces cannot be deployed.
In addition, the current status quo in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would largely be frozen, with some areas returned by Russia and details to be negotiated further. Even more controversially, the US and some other countries would recognize Crimea and Donbas as Russian territory, but Ukraine would not be required to formally acknowledge this.
Relevant US officials told Axios that some in the White House believe that if Ukraine continues fighting, 'it may ultimately lose even more territory,' so negotiation is 'more advantageous to Ukraine.'
The White House has also begun briefing European allies on the details of the plan, believing there is 'a chance for Ukraine and Europe to accept the proposal,' but stressing that all parties must be 'pragmatic and realistic.'
Following this, the UK’s Financial Times revealed that the plan was jointly drafted by current and former US and Russian officials. US government envoy Vitkov recently explained the content article-by-article to the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security Council and former Defense Minister Umerov in Miami.
Russian Attack on Western Ukrainian City Kills at Least 25
Ukraine's Interior Minister Klymenko said that on the 19th, Russia launched drone and missile attacks, hitting an apartment building in the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil, resulting in at least 26 deaths and nearly 100 injuries.
He noted that 26 people are still missing.
The strike on Ternopil is the deadliest in recent weeks and the most severe attack on western Ukraine far from the front lines since Russia’s invasion in 2022.