US president Donald Trump will try to force Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire with Russia by Easter under a peace plan, according to a report.
Trump, who has long claimed that he would be able to negotiate an ending to the brutal invasion of Ukraine in a single day, is said to be working to end the war within 100 days.
The unconfirmed plans, reported by Ukrainian outlet Strana, have been doing the rounds in ‘political and diplomatic circles’ in Ukraine, and will include a ceasefire by April 20 that would freeze Russia’s steady advance, and a ban on Ukraine from joining NATO.
According to Newsweek it would include a demand for Kyiv to accept Russian sovereignty on annexed land. Zelensky has denied the existence of such a plan.
On top of this, Ukrainian troops will be made to leave Russia’s Kursk region, where it launched a counteroffensive in August, while a contingent of European soldiers, which could include British troops, would be asked to police a demilitarised zone. American troops will not be involved in this contingent.
The EU will reportedly be asked to assist Ukraine in its reconstruction efforts, which may cost as much as $486billion (£392billion) over the next decade according to the German Marshall Fund thinktank.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has denied the existence of the ceasefire plans and the White House has yet to officially comment on the reports.
But if confirmed, it would see Zelensky and Vladimir Putin sharing a phone call within days before the warring pair meet either in late February or early March. An official ceasefire declaration would then be made on April 20.
A declaration on the agreed parameters for ending the war would then be released by May 9, after which Kyiv would be asked not to extend martial law or mobilise troops.
Trump also wants to set up an International Peace Conference, mediated by other prominent nations, that would gather to help forge an agreement to end the brutal war that has so far killed over 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to Zelensky, and an estimated 840,000 Russian troops according to Ukrainian intelligence agencies.
While many of the terms of the reported plans include concessions for Ukraine, Trump is also reportedly planning on continuing American support for Ukraine’s military, as well as a pathway for it to join the EU by 2030.
But Russia would also make significant gains as the plans include lifting sanctions on Russian energy over several years, though money from special duties on energy will be used to help fund Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts.
Zelensky’s office has strenuously denied the legitimacy of the peace plans.
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, wrote on Telegram that they did not ‘exist in reality’, adding that such reports often disguised allegations spread by Russians.
Zelensky told media groups on Sunday: ‘Russia’s war is against Ukraine, against Europe, against the whole world, but above all, the war is waged on our land. It is impossible to exclude Ukraine from any negotiating platform.
‘Either this negotiating platform will have no real results, or it will have only political results. And such results will have nothing to do with security or the end of the war.’
He added: ‘I would really like the European voice to be there as well. It is important for us because we will be members of the European Union.
‘But I can’t say clearly today what the structure of the negotiation process will be. Because we do not have a joint plan yet.’
Russia, meanwhile, said that the US is yet to offer any substantial details on the ceasefire deal.
Moscow’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: ‘Right now there are a lot of words, a lot of statements.
‘There is no clarity or certainty about the steps being taken. Therefore, it would be premature to discuss the prospects of negotiations or anything in general in this context… We will focus on specific steps and actions.’
Russia currently controls around 20% of Ukraine’s territory, and has held widely disregarded referendums in four regions in which they ‘voted’ to join Russia.
Zelensky previously claimed that he would never allow an acre of land to remain in Putin’s hands, but has also admitted that land may not be returned to Ukraine immediately.
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