A US-backed ceasefire plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war would reportedly see Ukraine make massive concessions. The 28-point road map, which has been quietly put together by Washington in consultation from Kremlin officials, would require Kyiv to surrender some territory seized by Russian forces, as well as some still under Ukrainian control, the Financial Times reports.

A Ukrainian official told The New York Times that it would require Ukraine to give up the entire eastern Donbas region to Russia, even territory Russia hasn’t managed to capture. According to The Telegraph, under the draft agreement Ukraine would maintain legal ownership of the region with Russia paying a rental fee for de facto control, though precise details about the contents of the proposed deal aren’t yet clear.

The plan would also reportedly compell Kyiv to reduce the size of its armed forces by half. Additionally it’s said to include a rollback of US military assistance, calling on Ukraine to abandon key categories of weaponry, whilst preventing the transfer by the West of long-range weapons able to strike targets deep within Russia.

Such concessions would be a major blow to Ukraine’s forces, which have relied heavily on Western support to repel Russian advances since Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Other elements of the plan reportedly include ruling out foreign troops being allowed on Ukrainian soil, compelling Kyiv to recognise Russian as an official state language, as well as giving the local branch of the Russian Orthodox Church formal status in another major win for the Kremlin.

The plan was delivered by US envoy Steve Witkoff in a Miami meeting with secretary of the national security and defence council of Ukraine and former defence minister, Rustem Umerov, this week, sources told the FT.

The deal has reportedly been approved by US President Donald Trump, and a source told Reuters that Washington expects Kyiv to accept the main points of it.

In a post on X, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US will “continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war based on input from both sides of this conflict”.

“Ending a complex and deadly war such as the one in Ukraine requires an extensive exchange of serious and realistic ideas. And achieving a durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions,” he added.

A Ukrainian official told Reuters that Ukraine has not been involved in preparing the plan, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently poured cold water on the whole of the Donbas being handed over to Russia as a way to end the fighting.

Zelensky is yet to comment on the draft plan, but said in a post on X: “Since the beginning of this year, we in Ukraine have supported every decisive step and the leadership of @POTUS, every strong and fair proposal aimed at ending this war.”

“And only President Trump and the United States have sufficient power to make this war come to an end.”