A Trump-led peace plan for Ukraine, delivered in writing this week to President Zelenskyy, would force Kyiv to cede occupied territories, abandon NATO ambitions, and accept sweeping amnesty in exchange for frozen Russian assets and vague security promises. The 28-point proposal, drafted with Russian input, marks the most detailed American push yet to end the war, but experts warn it could reward aggression while leaving Ukraine strategically vulnerable.
U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll handed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the written peace plan on Thursday, confirming that direct negotiations between Washington and Kyiv will begin in Switzerland next week. The proposal, drafted by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff with help from Russian intermediary Kirill Dmitriev, represents a sharp acceleration in American efforts to broker an end to the war. As reported by TV2, the plan includes provisions that would permanently enshrine Trump’s name on the map of a divided Ukraine.
The details are stark. Ukraine would have to recognize Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk as effectively Russian. Fighting would freeze along current lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv would retreat from parts of Donetsk to create a demilitarized zone, cap its military size, and commit to permanent neutrality outside NATO. In return, Ukraine gets $100 billion in frozen Russian assets for reconstruction, led by the U.S., which would take a profit share. Another $100 billion from Europe would fund joint American and Russian projects in AI and mining. Russia re-enters the G8. Sanctions lift.
Trading Land for Money
The plan also mandates elections within 100 days and full amnesty for all parties involved in the conflict. That amnesty clause means no war crimes prosecutions. No accountability for Bucha or Mariupol or the thousands of other documented atrocities. Just a clean slate and a handshake. A Peace Council led by Trump would enforce the deal, with sanctions threatened for violations. But the “decisive coordinated military response” promised to Ukraine if Russia attacks again remains undefined. No clarity on what the U.S. would actually do.
This echoes earlier peace talks in Istanbul in 2022, where Ukraine offered neutrality and military limits in exchange for security guarantees. But those talks collapsed after the Bucha massacre and Russian demands for veto power over Ukrainian defense. This new plan goes further on territorial concessions, potentially leaving Ukraine weaker than it was four years ago. I have watched Denmark navigate its role in this war with caution and occasional boldness, but the American approach here feels transactional in a way that unsettles. It treats sovereignty like a negotiable commodity.
Ukraine Has Not Said No
Remarkably, Zelenskyy has not rejected the plan outright. Recent trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, the first direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations since the invasion, were described as constructive. Geneva rounds followed, which Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov called intensive and substantive despite ongoing Russian attacks on Kyiv. Ukraine confirmed it will use the 28-point framework in Switzerland next week. That suggests either pragmatic acceptance of grim realities or crushing U.S. pressure to sign something fast.
A White House official acknowledged the plan poses significant challenges for Ukraine but insisted it is crucial to end the war. Dmitriev, the Russian intermediary who helped draft it, said Russia feels “really heard” this time. Putin and senior Russian officials have called it a potential basis for peace, though Putin himself has not publicly endorsed it. Moscow gets nearly everything it demanded in 2022: territorial gains, demilitarization, a NATO ban, and international rehabilitation through the G8.
A Strategic Trap?
Analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies questions whether this is an opportunity or a strategic trap. The plan allegedly started as 28 points and was later reduced to 20. Either way, it favors Russia. Amnesty shields war criminals. Military caps limit Ukraine’s future defense options. Security guarantees remain vague. The U.S. promises a response to future aggression but does not specify what that means or whether European allies would join. For expats watching from Denmark, a country that has experienced Trump’s territorial ambitions firsthand through his repeated interest in Greenland, the pattern is familiar. Borders and sovereignty become bargaining chips.
The plan includes practical provisions: a 50/50 split of electricity from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under IAEA supervision, all-for-all prisoner exchanges, and extension of nuclear treaties like New START, which expires in February 2027. These are useful. But they do not address the core imbalance. Ukraine loses territory. Russia gains legitimacy. Europe contributes cash but gets little say. The transactional nature of American foreign policy under Trump rewards the aggressor while asking the victim to accept less.
I have lived in Denmark long enough to know how Europeans view these dynamics. There is deep skepticism about American reliability and frustration at being sidelined in decisions that affect European security. Denmark has contributed weapons, training, and diplomatic support to Ukraine. Now it watches as Washington cuts a deal with Moscow, using European money as leverage. The amnesty provision alone will provoke outrage here. Danes care about international law and accountability. This plan discards both.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Trump’s Greenland Remarks Spark Danish Outrage
The Danish Dream: Why Does Trump Want Greenland? What You Need to Know
The Danish Dream: What Trump Greenland Deal Means: Ultimate Guide to Its Saga
TV2: Trump’s navn kan ende på landkortet i Ukraine som del af fredsplan
