Wants to push through a deal now: US President Donald Trump with his Ukraine negotiator Steve Witkoff (left). (New York, September 7)Image: keystone
US President Donald Trump wants to further force Ukraine to make painful concessions. These are the most important points from his revised peace plan.
Dec 13, 2025, 06:57Dec 13, 2025, 06:57
Remo Hess, Brussels / ch media
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky briefed journalists on Thursday in Kiev about the progress in peace talks. From this and other details leaked in the American and Ukrainian press, a fairly accurate picture of US President Donald Trump’s updated peace plan can be drawn. These are the most important points:
“Free economic zone” in Donbass
In the updated version, Trump also demands that the Ukrainians withdraw from the approximately 30 percent of Donbass that they still control. This directly affects the so-called “fortress belt” with the heavily fortified cities of Kramatorsk, Slovyansk and Kostiantynivka.
This area should no longer be recognized “internationally as part of Russia” as in the original plan, but should simply be declared a “free economic zone”. The Russian army is unlikely to move into the area after the Ukrainian withdrawal.
On Thursday, however, Zelenskiy asked the question of who should prevent the invasion of Russian forces and who would administer this area. His counter-proposal would be that if Ukraine withdraws, the Russians on their side would withdraw the same distance. In any case, only the Ukrainian people can decide on territorial issues, for example in a referendum, said Zelensky.
USA takes over Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
In addition to the cessions of territory, according to Zelensky, an open point of contention remains the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is currently occupied by the Russians. It is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. The USA now wants to take it over. Fifty percent of the energy should go to Ukraine. Where the other fifty percent goes is unclear. The original proposal said that Russia would get the second half.
As the Wall Street Journal reports, the Americans are now suggesting that US tech companies could build a huge data center nearby. This could then be supplied with electricity from the nuclear power plant. The construction is to be paid for from Russian central bank reserves that have been frozen in Europe.
Security guarantees based on the NATO model
The USA apparently wants to commit to security guarantees modeled on the NATO assistance clause. In addition to the USA, NATO and Europe should be the guarantors. But who exactly is meant by “Europe” remains unclear. Likewise, what exactly happens in practice if the Russians attack again.
The USA has made it clear that it rejects Ukraine’s accession to NATO. “The USA doesn’t want us in NATO, they say that quite openly,” says Zelensky. According to him, the security guarantees do not go far enough and need to be renegotiated.
Zelensky’s proposal would be for the security guarantees to be approved by the US Congress and therefore legally binding. They would also have to be designed in such a way that they would effectively deter Russia from an attack. He cited the Budapest Memorandum of 1994 as a negative example. The security guarantees there turned out to be a dead letter during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
Whether the USA will offer a hand remains questionable. In a bilateral agreement with Moscow, the USA wants to position itself as a “mediator” between NATO and Russia. This is remarkable because the USA itself is the dominant NATO country, but apparently does not see itself as part of the alliance.
EU accession by January 1, 2027
The US proposes that Ukraine become an EU member by January 1, 2027. That almost certainly won’t happen. Not only is this something that the European states will determine themselves. The accession process is a lengthy undertaking that requires far-reaching reforms. Not to mention that the EU is currently hardly in a position to absorb a country the size of Ukraine.
Deadline by Christmas
According to Zelensky, there are no hard timelines, but the US expects a decision by Christmas. However, the only thing that counts for Ukraine are the results, said Zelenskiy about the schedule.
According to media reports, the Ukrainians sent their adjusted proposals back to Washington on Thursday. A trilateral meeting between the USA, Ukraine and the Europeans would be planned for Saturday. Trump left it unclear on Thursday whether a US delegation would arrive. They don’t want to “waste time,” said Trump. His spokeswoman added: “The President is very frustrated with both sides in this war. “He doesn’t want to see any more conversations, he wants to see actions.”
Russia’s comment
Putin’s closest adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Friday about the negotiation process between Kiev and Washington that they had not yet seen the revised proposal. But he thinks they “won’t like a lot of things in it.”
He rejected a referendum on Donbass. This area is Russian and will soon be completely controlled by Russia. It is possible that one day there will no longer be a Russian or Ukrainian army there. But instead the Russian National Guard and the police. “There will be everything that is needed to maintain order and organize life,” Ushakov said in an interview. (aargauerzeitung.ch)