By Sama Marwan,
Sources revealed to Axios that Washington is awaiting a response today, Wednesday, from Ukraine regarding a peace proposal presented by the U.S. administration. The proposal includes an official American recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, as well as an informal acknowledgment of Moscow’s control over areas it seized during the war.
The one-page document, presented to Ukrainian officials in Paris last week, describes this initiative as President Trump’s “final offer.” The White House has emphasized its willingness to walk away if the parties fail to reach an agreement soon.
According to the sources, Trump’s proposal demands “major concessions” from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has previously ruled out recognizing Russia’s occupation of Crimea and parts of four eastern Ukrainian regions.
Although reports suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to freeze the current frontlines to reach a deal, he has already rejected other elements of the U.S. proposal, including the idea of a European peacekeeping force on Ukrainian territory.
A source close to the Ukrainian government described the proposal as heavily biased in favor of Russia, saying that it “clearly outlines the concrete gains Moscow would receive, while what Ukraine would get remains vague and generalized.”
According to the report, under Trump’s proposal, Russia’s gains would include formal U.S. recognition of its control over Crimea and de facto recognition of its occupation of nearly all of Luhansk province, as well as parts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The proposal also includes a promise that Ukraine will not join NATO, though it allows for potential EU membership. Furthermore, it proposes lifting sanctions imposed since 2014 and boosting economic cooperation with the U.S., especially in the energy and industrial sectors.
