Ukraine

The U.S. expects Ukraine's response Wednesday to a peace framework that includes U.S. recognition of Crimea as part of Russia and unofficial recognition of Russian control of nearly all areas occupied since the 2022 invasion, sources with direct knowledge of the proposal tell Axios.

What Russia gets under Trump's proposal:

• "De jure" U.S. recognition of Russian control in Crimea.
• "De-facto recognition" of the Russia's occupation of nearly all of Luhansk oblast and the occupied portions of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
• A promise that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO. The text notes that Ukraine could become part of the European Union.
• The lifting of sanctions imposed since 2014.
• Enhanced economic cooperation with the U.S., particularly in the energy and industrial sectors.

What Ukraine gets under Trump's proposal:

• "A robust security guarantee" involving an ad hoc group of European countries and potentially also like-minded non-European countries. The document is vague in terms of how this peacekeeping operation would function and does not mention any U.S. participation.
• The return of the small part of Kharkiv oblast Russia has occupied.
• Unimpeded passage of the Dnieper River, which runs along the front line in parts of southern Ukraine.
• Compensation and assistance for rebuilding, though the document does not say where the funding will come from.

Whole article is worth a read, as it’s quite short/dense as Axios usually is. For those outside the US, this is an outlet that’s been well sourced in Washington for years.