The White House is moving fast on a peace plan negotiated directly with Moscow, leaving both Kyiv and Europe on the sidelines. As US officials arrive in Ukraine and Zelenskyy faces mounting political and military pressure, Washington appears ready to present its proposal as an accomplished fact.

A possible peace agreement for Ukraine may be announced very soon - even “as soon as this week,” according to POLITICO. What stands out is that Europe appears entirely sidelined in the current negotiations. One US official quoted in the reporting put it bluntly: “We don’t really care about the Europeans.” At the same time, the corruption scandal surrounding Zelenskyy’s inner circle seems to have weakened his political position, creating pressure on Kyiv at a sensitive moment.

The most recent developments began with a report that the White House is preparing to unveil a major peace framework aimed at ending the three-and-a-half-year war. A senior US official told journalist Dasha Burns they expect all parties to agree on the basic outline by the end of the month, possibly even within days.

The pace has accelerated rapidly. POLITICO journalists Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch revealed that a high-level US delegation travelled to Kyiv on November 20, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, two four-star generals, and other senior military officials. They are expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top Ukrainian officials. Zelenskyy will then fly to Ankara for talks with President Erdogan. All he has confirmed publicly is that Kyiv has received “positions and signals” from Washington.

Parallel to this, Axios reporter Barak Ravid disclosed that the White House and the Kremlin have engaged in direct negotiations. According to his reporting, US envoy Steve Witkoff held three days of meetings in Miami with Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev late last month. A 28-point peace proposal has reportedly emerged from these talks, and officials quoted in the Trump administration describe the process as being on the verge of a major breakthrough.

The plan

Reports indicate the draft 28-point proposal, negotiated in talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian interlocutors, would bundle political, military, and security measures that require substantial Ukrainian concessions.

Sources say the framework reportedly seeks territorial compromises, such as the recognition of Crimea and the Donbas as parts of Russia. Further, the 28-point plan includes limits on Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities and a reduction in the size and armament of Ukrainian forces, bans or restrictions on foreign troops and certain weapons on Ukrainian soil, and security guarantees aimed at addressing Russian strategic demands.

The plan also includes political and cultural concessions such as enhanced status for the Russian language and other domestic recognitions, plus steps to normalise wider US–Russia relations as part of a broader European security architecture. None of these elements has been published as an authoritative list, and Kyiv, European capitals, and some officials have disputed or cautioned about the reported contents.

Europeans excluded

What is striking, however, is that neither Ukraine nor Washington’s European allies appear to have had direct input into this plan. So far, no details have been released on how the proposal addresses core issues: Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory, the deportation of Ukrainian children, and the nature of any future security guarantees for Kyiv. Yet the mood in Washington is confident. One senior official described the plan as “reasonable” and suggested it would be presented to Zelenskyy essentially as a fait accompli. In their view, Ukraine’s current vulnerability - on the battlefield and politically at home - makes acceptance more likely.

European partners, meanwhile, seem to have been excluded entirely. “It’s about Ukraine accepting,” the same official said. This is reinforced by Dasha Burns’ interpretation: US officials believe that the combination of corruption scandals and the current military situation places Ukraine in a position where it may accept terms it previously rejected.

The Russian side appears encouraged. Dmitriev told Axios he is “optimistic” because “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.” He also described the proposal as wider than a simple ceasefire. It includes elements on restoring US–Russia relations and addressing Russia’s long-standing security concerns - effectively framing it as a vision for “lasting security” in Europe. This raises obvious questions about why Europe itself is not directly involved.

Stepping back, this is an inflection point in the most significant European land war in decades, a conflict that has reshaped Western security thinking and caused an estimated 1.5 million casualties. If the reporting is accurate, negotiations may be entering their decisive phase.

It would also mark a pivotal moment for Donald Trump, who campaigned on the promise of ending the war quickly but has since admitted the challenge was greater than anticipated. A peace deal - any peace deal - would carry major political weight for Trump when he is weakened by the Epstein files. For the Europeans, “any peace deal” is not a good deal.

What happens next depends on the details still missing from public view and, crucially, on Ukraine’s response. Based on past statements, Zelenskyy is likely to resist any arrangement involving territorial concessions. Yet the diplomatic pressure is mounting, and a successful agreement would almost certainly be followed by the long-discussed Trump–Putin summit.

Ricardo Martins—Doctor of Sociology, specialist in European and international politics as well as geopolitics. Courtesy

https://journal-neo.su/2025/11/21/a-peace-deal-without-europe-the-white-house-moves-fast-on-ukraine-as-kyiv-faces-mounting-pressure/