Trump’s 28-Point Peace Plan: What It Offers Ukraine — and at What Cost

Information that the US and Russia were secretly working on a plan to end the war in Ukraine surfaced several days ago. Based on early leaks, the plan looked highly disadvantageous for Ukraine.

Yesterday, it became known that the document contained 28 points. Today, Axios published all 28, citing US and Ukrainian officials and people familiar with the talks. 

Orda.kz has prepared an overview.

The plan was drafted by Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff with the participation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law, businessman Jared Kushner. Witkoff also consulted Russian financier Kirill Dmitriev, who acts as a de facto intermediary between Moscow and Washington on Ukraine.

Witkoff is often described as a pro-Russian member of Trump’s inner circle.

The plan was shown first to Zelenskyy’s national security adviser Rustem Umerov and, the day before publication, to Zelenskyy himself, who said he would discuss it with Trump.

At some point in this process, the US president personally approved the plan. In recent days, the media have already dubbed it “Trump’s 28 Points.” 

Later, reports emerged that Trump gave Ukraine less than a week to accept his plan.

The points, along with their subpoints, are as follows:

• Ukraine’s sovereignty is confirmed.
• Russia, Ukraine, and Europe sign a comprehensive non-aggression agreement.
• All ambiguities of the past 30 years are considered resolved.
• Russia pledges not to invade neighboring countries, and NATO pledges not to expand.
• Russia and NATO, with US mediation, launch a security dialogue
  to enable de-escalation, global security, and future economic cooperation.
• Ukraine receives “reliable security guarantees.”
• The size of Ukraine’s armed forces is capped at 600,000 personnel.
• Ukraine amends its Constitution to renounce NATO membership,
  and NATO formally bans Ukraine’s future accession in its own documents.
• NATO agrees not to deploy troops on Ukrainian territory.
• European fighter jets are stationed in Poland.
• US security guarantees to Ukraine come with conditions: The US receives compensation for providing guarantees; If Ukraine invades Russia, the guarantees are void; If Russia invades Ukraine, the US and allies respond militarily, all global sanctions are reinstated, recognition of any new territory and all benefits of the deal are cancelled; If Ukraine strikes Moscow or St. Petersburg “without justification” with missiles, the guarantees become invalid.
• Ukraine becomes eligible for EU membership and receives short-term preferential access to the European market while its application is considered.
• Ukraine receives a reconstruction support package, including: a Ukrainian development fund for fast-growing sectors such as tech, data centers, and AI; US–Ukraine cooperation on restoring, developing, modernizing, and operating Ukraine’s gas infrastructure; joint work on rebuilding war-affected areas, including cities and housing; infrastructure development; extraction of minerals and natural resources; a special World Bank financing package to accelerate reconstruction.
• Russia is reintegrated into the global economy, with reservations: sanctions are lifted gradually, case by case; the US and Russia sign a long-term economic cooperation agreement in energy, natural resources, infrastructure, AI, data centers, Arctic rare earth metals, and other corporate projects; Russia is invited back to the G8.
• Frozen assets are distributed as follows: $100 billion of frozen Russian assets are invested in US-initiated projects to rebuild and develop Ukraine; the US receives 50% of profits from these investments; Europe adds $100 billion to Ukraine’s recovery; frozen European assets are unfrozen; remaining Russian assets fund joint US–Russian investment projects aimed at strengthening ties and creating shared interests that discourage renewed conflict.
• A joint US–Russian security working group is created to oversee the implementation of the agreement.
• Russia enshrines in law a non-aggression policy toward Europe and Ukraine.
• The US and Russia extend nuclear non-proliferation and arms-control agreements, including START I.
• Ukraine reaffirms its non-nuclear status under the NPT.
• The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant resumes operation under IAEA supervision, with electricity output split equally between Russia and Ukraine.
• Both countries commit to educational and social programs against hatred and discrimination: Ukraine adopts EU rules on religious tolerance and minority language protection; both sides abolish discriminatory measures and guarantee media and education rights for Ukrainian and Russian communities; Nazi ideology and activities are rejected and banned.
• Territories: Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk are recognized de facto as Russian, including by the US; Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are “frozen” along the line of contact, effectively recognizing the front line as the border; Russia relinquishes other Ukrainian territories it controls outside these five regions; Ukrainian forces withdraw from the part of the Donetsk Region they currently control, which becomes a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as Russian territory. Russian troops will not enter this zone.
• After agreeing on the territorial arrangement, Russia and Ukraine commit not to change it by force. Security guarantees do not apply if this clause is violated.
• Russia does not obstruct Ukraine’s commercial use of the Dnieper River, and arrangements are made for free grain shipments across the Black Sea.
• A humanitarian committee is set up to resolve outstanding issues: exchange of all remaining prisoners and bodies on an “all for all” basis; return of all civilian hostages and detainees, including children; family reunification; measures to alleviate the suffering of conflict victims.
• Ukraine holds elections within 100 days.
• All parties receive full amnesty for actions during the war and waive any future claims or complaints.
• The agreement has legal force: implementation is monitored and “guaranteed” by a Peace Council headed by Donald Trump; sanctions are imposed for violations.
• After all parties sign, a ceasefire takes effect immediately once both sides pull back to the agreed positions to begin implementation. 

The plan has sparked debate among the expert community.

US “Article 5–Style” Guarantees

One remaining concern is what the US was offering Ukraine in exchange for agreeing to such terms. 

Later, Axios, citing an obtained document, clarified these guarantees:

President Trump's peace plan for Ukraine includes a security guarantee modeled on NATO's Article 5, which would commit the U.S. and European allies to treat an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the entire "transatlantic community, the media writes.

This partially addressed concerns over Russia’s promise of “non-aggression.”

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia and Ukraine signed several agreements recognizing their borders, which did not prevent Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Guarantees similar to Article 5 imply the possibility of a military response by NATO countries to renewed aggression.

However, for Ukraine, territory has been a core matter in every negotiation since the start of the war. This is particularly true for the part of Donbas still under Ukrainian control, where fortified positions — the “Belt of Fortresses” built since 2014 — would be lost under the proposed plan.

At an open UN briefing, Ukraine’s Deputy Permanent Representative Khrystyna Hayovyshyn said Ukraine had not agreed to this fundamental point. She added that Ukraine is also not prepared to limit the size of its armed forces.

Ukraine is ready for meaningful negotiations, even at the leadership level, but emphasizes its unchanging ‘red lines’: no recognition of Russian-occupied territories as Russian, no sale of Ukrainian land, no restrictions on Ukraine’s right to self-defense, the size and capabilities of its army, no infringement on the country’s sovereignty,
 Hayovyshyn stated.

We discussed a peace plan for Ukraine and all of Europe. We appreciate the efforts of the United States, President Trump, and his team to end this war. We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a genuine and dignified peace,
 Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook.

According to Bild, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who cancelled several meetings to make the call possible, also plans a separate phone conversation with Trump. The results may be made public in the coming hours.

At the same time, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had not officially received anything and was learning details from the media.

At the same UN briefing, Russia’s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya also spoke:

This statement came two days after the missile strike on Ternopil that destroyed two residential buildings and killed more than 20 people.

Zelenskyy’s Emergency Address

Following all these reports, Zelenskyy delivered an emergency video address.

He said Ukraine is facing one of the most difficult moments in its history:

Now Ukraine could face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner. Either the difficult 28 points, or an extremely difficult winter, the most difficult one yet, and further risks. Life without freedom, dignity, and justice, and for us to trust someone who has already attacked twice,
 Zelenskyy stated.

I will offer alternatives, but we will definitely not give the enemy any reason to say that Ukraine does not want peace,
 Zelenskyy added.

The state must function. The parliament of a country at war must work together, and the government must be effective.

We didn’t betray Ukraine in February 2022, and we won’t do it now. I know for certain that in this truly difficult moment in our history, I am not alone. In all the upcoming meetings and negotiations, it will be easier for me to achieve a dignified peace for us, knowing 100% that the people of Ukraine are behind me.

Original Authors: Igor Ulitin, Rustam Muratov