Lifting Sanctions on Russia, Recognising Annexation of Crimea: Reuters Reveals Details of US Peace Plan
On 17 April, US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff presented a proposal to end the Russian-Ukrainian war to European officials in Paris, which, among other things, includes US recognition of Moscow's control over a number of Ukrainian occupied territories and the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Reuters, which publishes the full text of the plan.
The United States has presented European officials with a draft agreement to end Russia's war in Ukraine. The document contains clear terms that are Washington's ‘final offer’ to both sides.
According to the text, the United States proposes a permanent truce between Russia and Ukraine with the immediate start of negotiations on the technical implementation of this. Ukraine will receive security guarantees and the right to join the European Union, but not NATO.
An important part of the agreement is the ‘de jure’ recognition by the United States of Russia's control over Crimea, as well as the ‘de facto’ control of Luhansk region (referred to in the document as ‘Luhansk’) and parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kherson regions.
According to the US plan, Ukraine regains control over the occupied parts of Kharkiv region, as well as over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the Kakhovka dam. In addition, Ukraine gains control of the Kinburn Spit and unimpeded access to the Dnipro River.
On the economic front, according to the plan presented by Witkoff, the US and Ukraine will conclude an agreement on economic cooperation, as well as the resumption of financial assistance for Ukraine's full recovery.
In addition, sanctions against Russia, which were imposed after the start of the war in 2014, will be lifted. There is also a separate mention of ‘economic cooperation between the US and Russia in the energy and other industrial sectors’.
As The Gaze reported earlier, the United States is actively seeking to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine within the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term.
There is a growing perception among European diplomats that Washington is exerting strong pressure to finalise a deal in the coming days.
In addition, Trump blamed Ukraine for the war and says that Crimea will stay with Russia.