Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan Would Hand Putin Ukrainian Territory
The Trump administration’s latest “peace plan” for Ukraine is less about ending the war and more about legitimizing Russia’s territorial conquests. Leaked details from multiple outlets suggest the proposal, which will be on the table when Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, would formalize Russia’s control over occupied Ukrainian territory, a move Kyiv says is nothing short of capitulation.
According to reports, the framework under discussion would see the United States back a truce freezing current frontlines in place. Russia would retain Crimea, the Donbas territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, and occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. In exchange, Moscow would agree to halt further offensives. Trump has publicly called this a “territorial swap to the betterment of both,” without explaining what Ukraine gains from the deal beyond a pause in active fighting.
For President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the answer is clear: nothing. Ukraine’s constitution enshrines its territorial integrity, and any agreement made without Kyiv’s consent is, in his words, “stillborn.” In a statement rejecting the plan, Zelenskyy said, “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier.” He warned that legitimizing Russia’s occupation would reward aggression, embolden future invasions, and undermine the very idea of sovereignty in international law.
The political fallout is already spreading across Europe. NATO officials have privately expressed alarm that a U.S.–Russia agreement crafted without Ukraine could fracture Western unity and set a dangerous precedent for authoritarian powers to redraw borders by force. EU diplomats say the deal, if enacted, would signal that Washington is willing to trade away allied territory for the optics of a peace deal, especially if it delivers Trump a political win ahead of the U.S. election cycle.
On the battlefield, there is no indication Russia is preparing to slow its campaign. Analysts warn that a frozen conflict would give Moscow time to rebuild its forces, consolidate control, and prepare for future offensives. The Kremlin has already made clear it seeks formal recognition of its annexations, something this plan would effectively deliver.
For Ukraine, the message is clear: the war could be decided not in the trenches of Donbas or the streets of Kherson, but in a closed-door meeting thousands of kilometers away, without their input. For Russia, the message is even clearer, that military aggression pays if you can outlast your opponent’s allies at the negotiating table.