The 28-point plan developed by the administration of US President Donald Trump envisages that Ukraine may be forced to lease its eastern Donbas region to Russia in exchange for ending the war. The authoritative Telegraph newspaper and several other well-known periodicals report this.
According to the terms, Kiev will retain legal ownership of the territory, but Moscow will exercise de facto control and pay rent, given that Donbas is rich in minerals.
In addition to territorial concessions, the plan envisages reducing the Ukrainian army by half, banning the deployment of long-range missiles and foreign troops, and suspending US military aid.
Ukraine will be allowed to negotiate security guarantees from the US and European governments that will help maintain the ceasefire.
According to the plan, Russian will become one of the official state languages. Ukrainian officials have rejected this initiative, and Russia denies having any knowledge of it. Sources say the White House is pressuring President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree, as the lease scheme would bypass the Ukrainian Constitution’s requirement to put the cession of territory to a national vote.
According to the newspaper, discussions of this deal were the reason why Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, announced his resignation.
It should be noted that several reputable newspapers report that Kellogg will step down in January.
