Ukraine has officially agreed to the core elements of the controversial peace proposal put forward by the Trump administration, according to a U.S. official, as per The Hill‘s report. This is a massive development, especially since this plan has been widely criticized as being incredibly favorable to Moscow.
Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, confirmed the breakthrough in a social media post. He noted that the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations reached a “common understanding on the core terms of the agreement discussed in Geneva.”
Honestly, this is a tough pill to swallow for Kyiv, especially when you look at the major concessions they appear ready to make. The initial U.S. proposal, which was obtained by The Associated Press last week, detailed some truly shocking requirements for Ukraine. Crucially, the plan seeks to place the regions of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk under “de facto” Russian control, which the U.S. would recognize. Even more painful, the deal aims to prohibit Ukraine from ever being admitted into NATO.
These requirements were considered nonstarters for Ukraine previously, which is why this acceptance is so stunning
When you contrast those massive territorial and security concessions with what Russia is required to give up, the deal looks heavily unbalanced. Apart from directing $100 billion in frozen Russian assets toward Ukraine’s reconstruction, Moscow is not required to make any other major concessions. That $100 billion is great for rebuilding, but it doesn’t change the geopolitical reality the deal forces upon Ukraine.
The political backlash to this proposal started immediately. Even before Ukraine agreed to the core terms, some of President Trump’s Republican allies on Capitol Hill raised serious concerns about the deal’s origins.
Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) stated on Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the plan wasn’t primarily written by the U.S. but was instead “essentially the wish list of the Russians.” Rubio has since pushed back against those specific reports, but the sentiment clearly shows how one-sided the document appears.
Despite the controversy, the talks are moving forward at a rapid pace. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted Tuesday morning that the U.S. “has made tremendous progress towards a peace deal by bringing both Ukraine and Russia to the table.” She did note, however, that there are still “a few delicate, but not insurmountable, details” that require more discussion between the three nations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously said that “the list of necessary steps to end the war can become workable” after officials left the Geneva talks feeling optimistic on Sunday. Last month, he also complimented Trump as “very positive and productive.” This was after Trump arguably betrayed Ukraine by declaring, “Sometimes, you have to let them fight.”
Umerov confirmed that they are now counting on their European partners for support as they move forward. He added that Ukraine is looking forward to President Zelensky organizing a visit to the U.S. “at the earliest suitable date in November to complete final steps and make a deal with President Trump.”
Published: Nov 25, 2025 06:00 pm