Trump Advisors Propose Ukraine Peace Plan: Concessions to Russia and NATO Membership Freeze
WASHINGTON – Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s advisors are floating proposals to resolve the Ukraine war by offering Russia territorial concessions and freezing Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, according to Reuters’ analysis of public statements and interviews with Trump’s team.
Retired Army Lieutenant-General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Russia-Ukraine envoy, and other advisors have outlined potential plans, including freezing battle lines and pressuring both Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate. These strategies would involve halting U.S. military aid to Ukraine unless it agrees to talks while threatening increased support if Russia resists negotiations.
Trump pledged during his campaign to resolve the nearly three-year-old conflict within 24 hours of taking office on January 20, but analysts doubt the feasibility of such an ambitious goal given the war’s complexity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, facing escalating territorial losses, has signaled openness to negotiations while maintaining Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin shows no signs of relaxing demands, including Ukrainian territorial concessions and renunciation of NATO membership.
Kellogg’s plan, co-authored with former National Security Council official Fred Fleitz, proposes U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine and continued military aid after a peace accord. Meanwhile, Vice President-elect JD Vance and former acting intelligence chief Richard Grenell have pitched separate ideas, including heavily fortified demilitarized zones and autonomous regions in eastern Ukraine.
Analysts warn that Trump’s proposals may face resistance from Ukraine, European allies, and some U.S. lawmakers, particularly those skeptical of military aid. The plans could also struggle to win Putin’s cooperation, as he holds strategic advantages on the battlefield.
Trump’s spokesperson reiterated his commitment to restoring peace and rebuilding U.S. influence on the global stage, though details on his exact strategy remain unclear.