Reuters quoted anonymous sources as saying that “Washington wants Kiev to accept the main points” of the reported peace plan. This would reportedly require Kiev to cede the remaining parts of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) it still occupies, as well as significantly reduce its armed forces in exchange for Western security guarantees.
Axios and the Financial Times have published similar reports, claiming that the document also stipulates recognizing Russian as an official state language in Ukraine and granting official status to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The purported points of the American plan, if confirmed, echo some of Moscow’s long-standing demands.
Reuters quoted an unnamed senior Ukrainian official as confirming that the authorities in Kiev had received “signals” about the purported peace plan. The proposal has reportedly been prepared without any input from Ukraine and the EU.
An anonymous White House official told Politico the peace roadmap could be agreed by all parties to the conflict by the end of this month and possibly “as soon as this week.”
In a post on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while not directly confirming the media reports, wrote that “achieving a durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions.”
Speaking to Axios, senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev expressed cautious optimism, saying that “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in turn, said there was “nothing new” in Russia-US negotiations to end the conflict, adding that Russia remains willing to engage in talks with Ukraine.
The EU has pushed back against the US-proposed plan to end the Ukraine conflict on Thursday, insisting that any settlement must reflect the positions of both Brussels and Kiev.
