President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war between Ukraine and Russia would give the Russians parts of eastern Ukraine they don’t occupy, Axios reported, citing a U.S. official.
As part of the deal, Ukraine will receive a security guarantee from the U.S. and Europe against future Russian aggression, the official said.
While Ukraine would view the deal as a major surrender to Russia, the White House believes Ukraine would likely lose the territory anyway and the country could receive assurances Russia wouldn’t just resume the war, Axios reported.
The deal would call for Russia to control the Donbas region, even though Ukraine controls 14.5% of the territory there, according to Axios.
Once under Russia control, the area would be considered a demilitarized zone, with Russia barred from having troops there, officials said.
Crimea and the Donbas would be recognized as Russian territory by the U.S. and other countries, but Ukraine would not be compelled to do so.
In two other Ukrainian regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the current lines of control would be frozen in place, with Russia returning some land, according to Axios.
The Ukrainian military would be limited in its size and number of long-range weapons, a Ukrainian official said.
Turkey and Qatar have been involved in drafting the plan, Axios reported, citing two sources.
“We are now going to wait. The ball is in Zelenskyy’s court,” the U.S. official said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Previously, Zelenskyy has publicly opposed the idea of Ukraine trading territory for a security guarantee. He declared that “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” citing Ukraine’s constitution and rejecting deals made without Kyiv’s full participation.
Zelenskyy made the remark in an August 9, 2025 video address posted on social media
At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted that any peace deal to end the war must involve Ukraine relinquishing occupied territories, including the full regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
European governments have also reacted to the “land-for-security” or “territory-for-peace” idea. For example, the European Commission urged the U.S. not to agree to a “one-sided” land swap during talks with Russia, stressing that any deal must include “the strongest security guarantees” for Kyiv.
Some European officials are increasingly open to a reframed deal, shifting from “land-for-peace” to “security-for-peace,” thereby emphasising that what matters is not simply trading territory but what guarantees Ukraine receives in return.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian public opinion and leadership remain skeptical or cautious: while there is acknowledgment that frozen front lines or cease-fire arrangements might be acceptable if backed by robust international guarantees, many in Kyiv insist any deal must be done from a position of strength and not simply as a surrender of territory.
Newsmax Wires contributed to this story.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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