The Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included U.S. de jure recognition of Russia's control over Crimea, along with de facto recognition of its occupation of other Ukrainian territories, Axios reported on April 23, citing sources.
The news supports earlier reporting that the recognition of Russia's occupation of Crimea and a ban on Ukraine joining NATO are being considered as part of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war.
The U.S. reportedly presented its peace proposal last week during a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Paris. At the same time, Washington signaled that it would withdraw from the talks if the parties did not agree to conclude a peace agreement soon.
The U.S. peace plan will require significant concessions from Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, Axios reported. In turn, the pitch outlines several "tangible gains" for Russia, the outlet's source said.
According to U.S. President Donald Trump's final peace proposal, Washington would de jure recognize the Russian control over Crimea and de facto recognize the occupation of Ukrainian territories in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
The deal would also prevent Ukraine from joining NATO but permit EU membership, lift sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014, and include deeper energy and economic cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.
In return, the U.S. promises Ukraine "a robust security guarantee" backed by European countries and possibly non-European like-minded countries.
Trump's proposal does not clearly outline how this peacekeeping mission would work or provide security guarantees. The document also does not mention the U.S. role in this mission.
According to the U.S. peace plan, Ukraine will get back a part of Kharkiv Oblast occupied by Russia, gain unimpeded passage of the Dnipro River, which flows along the front line in some parts of southern Ukraine, and receive compensation for the reconstruction of the country. The document does not specify how this will be financed.
The document also mentions the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is to be recognized as controlled by Ukraine but operated by the U.S. As the proposal reads, the electricity produced by the plant will be supplied to both Ukraine and Russia.
The U.S. expected Ukraine to respond to its peace plan in London on April 23, according to Axios.
Zelensky has already ruled out recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, after which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff moved to skip the London meeting. European foreign ministers are also reportedly suspending their participation.
Dominic Culverwell
(Updated: )
