Reuters saw a series of proposals to end Russia's war in Ukraine, which were submitted to European officials in April 17 in talks in Paris.
Witkoff held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, just as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly begs Putin to stop bombing Ukraine after he was killed in a Kiev air strike.
But Trump, early in his second term, expressed his anger at Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy as the White House attempted to end the unnecessary casualties represented by the U.S. president in its fourth year of war.
Trump and his Vice President JD Vance condemned Ukrainian leaders in late February during a public quarrel in the Oval Office, and the president mocked Zelenskyy earlier this week, believing that Zelenskyy suggested that Ukraine would not surrender Crimea to part of any ceasefire plan.
Russia appears to be heading in the opposite direction when the United States tries to push Ukraine toward a ceasefire. CBC's Terence McKenna looks at the latest moves and why some think Vladimir Putin may have tried to manipulate Donald Trump through his billionaire real estate buddy.
Moscow-backed rebels occupied Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014, eight years before the wider invasion of Ukraine began.
“Crimea will stay in Russia,” Trump said in an interview published on Friday by Time magazine. “And Zelenskyy knows that, and everyone knows it's been a long time.”
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxing champion for Zelenskyy's political rival, also suggested that Ukraine might need to temporarily use land as part of a peace deal with Russia, the BBC reported on Friday.
“One of the situations is to give up territory. It's not fair. For peace, temporary peace, maybe the solution,” the BBC quoted Klitschko as saying in an interview.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko told the BBC that Ukraine may need to temporarily use land as part of a peace agreement with Russia. 'One of these situations is… Give up territory. This is unfair. But for peace, temporary peace, maybe this could be a solution – temporary. ”
Some of the proposals made to European officials last week are not surprising considering previous public statements by U.S. officials. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth suggested in his speech in early February that Ukraine must give up his pursuit of NAD members.
The text of the document introduced in Paris is published below without any changes:
Russia – Ukraine Trading Framework
Delivery oral overview: These terms represent the final offer from the United States to both sides.
Ceasefire
- Permanent ceasefire.
- Both sides immediately engaged in technical implementation negotiations on Ukrainian security assurance.
- Ukraine has received strong security assurances.
- The guaranteed country will be a temporary group of European countries and willing non-European countries.
- Ukraine will not seek to join NATO.
- Ukraine may pursue the EU membership field.
- The United States provides recognition of Russia's control over Crimea.
- The United States actually endorses Russia's control over Luhansk.
- The U.S. has a factual endorsement of the Russian-controlled parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kherson.
- Ukraine restored the territory of Kharkif Prefecture.
- Ukraine restored control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant through US control and drug delivery, and the power was distributed to both sides, as well as the Kakhovka Dam.
- Ukraine travels unhinderedly on the DNIEPER River and controls the Golden Bank Spit Economics.
- The United States and Ukraine will implement economic cooperation/mineral agreements.
- Ukraine will fully rebuild and compensate economically.
- Sanctions against Russia will be eliminated since 2014.
- Economic cooperation between the US and Russia's energy and other industrial sectors.
