Ukraine’s government has formulated an alternative peace proposal in response to a U.S. peace plan that faced criticism for granting excessive concessions to Russia. This new draft maintains Kyiv’s firm positions on certain demands while signaling readiness to negotiate on longstanding contentious issues.
The draft outlines no limitations on the size of Ukraine’s armed forces, proposes the deployment of a U.S.-supported European security contingent on Ukrainian soil to ensure stability, and suggests utilizing frozen Russian assets to finance reconstruction efforts stemming from war damages.
While these provisions may be unacceptable to Moscow, the Ukrainian plan also shows an openness to compromise. Notably, it omits any call for the full restoration of all territories seized by Russia and does not insist on Ukraine joining NATO—two issues President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously declared non-negotiable.
On Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. President Zelensky had intended to join but decided the trip would depend on security conditions in Ukraine, where recent Russian attacks on Kyiv and other areas have resulted in numerous casualties.
Upon arriving in Rome, Trump expressed optimism on social media, stating that Russia and Ukraine were "very close to a deal" and encouraged direct talks between the parties to finalize the agreement. Earlier, he indicated a possible meeting with Zelensky on the funeral sidelines. A senior Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, suggested that if Zelensky attends, he might personally present the counterproposal to Trump.
In a notably hopeful statement on Friday, President Zelensky remarked, "In the coming days, significant meetings may occur—meetings that could bring us closer to peace in Ukraine."
