The US and Europe are developing a joint peace plan for Ukraine: six key points

The US and Europe are jointly developing a peace plan for Ukraine that envisions freezing hostilities along the front line, lifting sanctions on Russia, Western investment in Ukraine’s reconstruction, and security guarantees for Kyiv.

This was reported by journalist David Ignatius in a column for The Washington Post, citing sources.

The plan is described as a “territorial compromise that neither side will like,” with both sides receiving a package of support measures as a “sweet bonus.”

“We need to expand the scale of the problem and the solution to help both sides see what the postwar situation will look like — and then make concessions,” an American official told Ignatius.

According to the publication, this “diplomatic push” took place during a six-hour meeting last Friday in Florida. It was attended by US President’s special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, as well as representatives from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The US has named a halt to strikes on oil refineries as a condition for implementing the peace initiative.

The six key points of the plan are as follows.

The first is a Russia-Europe agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin is being offered not merely an end to the war, but also an economic and security agreement with Europe that “will take into account Russia’s security concerns, though it remains unclear exactly what that will mean.”

The second is the creation of a special mechanism for Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction. It will be developed by the World Bank and investment firm BlackRock. Ukraine has already been asked to provide a detailed cost estimate and guarantees that the money will not be stolen.

The third is security guarantees for Ukraine. The US and European countries must promise that in the event of a new Russian attack they will take retaliatory military action. According to an American official, this point will be equivalent to NATO’s Article 5.

The fourth is the economic integration of Russia, Ukraine, and Europe through an energy agreement. One practical embodiment could be a pipeline through which Russian oil and gas are supplied to Europe, with profits shared between Ukraine and Russia.

The fifth is the lifting of sanctions on Russia. The peace agreement must define how and when this will be done.

The sixth is Russia’s agreement to freeze the conflict along the front line, with Ukraine recognizing Russian control over the seized territories. Russia is currently refusing to stop the war without control over all of the Donbas, while Kyiv is not prepared to recognize Russian control over the occupied territories.

The publication had previously reported details of an Indian peace proposal for Ukraine and Russia.