The Proposal in a Nutshell

The United States has introduced a comprehensive 28-point proposal aimed at resolving the war between Ukraine and Russia. The plan - drafted by U.S. and Russian officials and shared with Ukraine - would require Kyiv to accept territorial concessions, forego membership in NATO and agree to substantial long-term commitments. 

Key Components of the Plan

• Ukraine must enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO. 

• Russia would be recognised as sovereign over Crimea, the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would be frozen under current lines of control. 

• Ukraine’s armed forces would be capped at 600,000 personnel and troop deployment by NATO banned. 

• The United States and Europe would use hundreds of billions in frozen Russian assets for Ukrainian reconstruction, but with conditions favouring U.S. profit participation. 

• Russia would be reintegrated into global economic and diplomatic frameworks (including an invite back to the G8) in exchange for concessions and legal commitments. 

Why the Plan Has Raised Alarms

1. Sovereignty & Territory: Many analysts say the deal effectively legitimises Russia’s seizure of vast Ukrainian territory. 

2. NATO & Security Guarantees: By blocking Ukraine’s future NATO membership and imposing limits on its military, critics argue that Kyiv would be at a strategic disadvantage.

3. Legal & Moral Risks: The plan envisions “full amnesty” for all participants, a move that could conflict with international law and war-crime accountability. 

4. Implementation Doubts: Experts note the terms are vague, mechanisms for enforcement unclear, and buy-in from Ukraine’s European allies uncertain. 

Could the Plan Work?

While the plan puts forward an ambitious framework, its success faces major headwinds:

• Kyiv has not accepted the terms as they currently stand, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described them as a “vision” not a binding deal. 

• Europe and Ukraine’s allies appear sceptical of the idea that Ukraine must surrender territory and autonomy in return for peace.

• On the Russian side, official denial of formal negotiations casts doubt on whether the Kremlin will honour or even engage with the plan publicly. 

• Implementing the many steps such as troop reductions, legal reforms and massive reconstruction—is dependent on trust between adversaries and a stable diplomacy environment, which remains fragile after years of war.

What to Watch Next

• Will Ukraine or its Western partners walk away or demand major renegotiations of the plan’s terms?

• Could this proposal become a diplomatic baseline even if not fully enacted, for a future settlement?

• How will Russia respond publicly and in practice? Will any steps towards de-escalation or internal confirmation of the plan’s details emerge?

• What will happen to existing alliances including NATO’s future and how the West supports Ukraine militarily and economically?

Bottom line: Trump’s 28-point Ukraine plan is one of the most detailed peace proposals to date, but its ambition is matched by its complexity and the scale of concessions asked from Ukraine and its allies is extraordinary. Whether it moves from paper into practice remains highly uncertain.