US-Russia plan for Ukraine includes sanctions relief for Moscow
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A US-Russia peace plan for Ukraine reportedly includes sanctions relief for Russian oil firms, as Washington pressures Kiev to accept major territorial concessions.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listens to his national anthem as he arrives at the Villacoublay air base near Paris, Monday, November 17, 2025 (AP)
A confidential proposal by the United States and the Russian Federation to end the war in Ukraine reportedly includes the removal of key sanctions against Russia, according to a report by Bloomberg on Thursday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Earlier this week, media outlets reported that Russia and the United States have held secret consultations on a 28-point plan to settle the Ukraine war. The draft reportedly calls for Ukraine to cut its armed forces by half and abandon territories still held in the Donbas, in exchange for security guarantees from Washington. A senior US administration official told NBC that Donald Trump has approved the plan.
While the person quoted by Bloomberg did not specify exactly which sanctions would be lifted, sources told the news agency that Moscow is working to block US sanctions on oil companies such as Rosneft and Lukoil from entering into force on Friday.
The Trump administration is reportedly signalling to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he should accept the deal, another person familiar with the matter said. According to the report, European and Ukrainian officials have yet to be briefed on the full implications of Kiev’s potential refusal to accept the draft deal.
Previous negotiations faltered
Russia and Ukraine previously conducted three rounds of direct negotiations in Istanbul, resulting in a prisoner exchange and the exchange of draft memorandums on conflict settlement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly stated Moscow is ready to discuss political aspects of a settlement in any format, though Ukraine has not responded to Russia’s proposal to create three working groups covering humanitarian, military, and political issues, made during the third Istanbul round in July. Lavrov has also claimed that Zelensky rejected an invitation from Vladimir Putin to hold talks in Moscow.
The emerging settlement blueprint marks a pivot in US strategy, offering sanctions relief as leverage for territorial and military concessions by Ukraine. If carried out as described, the plan could reshape the geopolitics of the conflict, but it has already triggered alarm from Ukraine and its European allies over the potential cost to Kiev’s sovereignty and security.
New Trump proposal requires Ukrainian concessions
Trump is advancing a new proposal to halt the war in Ukraine, a plan that would hand Russia additional territory in exchange for security guarantees for Kiev and Europe, according to a US official familiar with the discussions, as reported by Axios on Wednesday. The approach, which has not been formally accepted by Ukraine, would cement Moscow’s control over areas it does not yet fully occupy and is already generating significant unease among Ukraine’s supporters.
Under the proposal, Russia would obtain full de facto authority over the Donbas, Luhansk and Donetsk, even though Ukrainian forces still hold roughly 14.5% of that region. The territory Kiev would withdraw from would be designated a demilitarized zone where Russia would not be allowed to station troops. In the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, front lines would largely remain as they are now, with the possibility of limited adjustments based on negotiations.
The plan also envisions the United States and several other countries recognizing Crimea and the Donbas as Russian, though Ukraine itself would not be required to acknowledge those annexations. A Ukrainian official said the proposal includes restrictions on the size of Ukraine’s armed forces and its long-range weapons capabilities, offered in return for US security guarantees. The same official confirmed that the draft plan involves Ukrainian concessions in the Donbas.
