The United States and European countries are gradually shaping a joint proposal to end the war that would offer economic and security incentives to both Ukraine and Russia in exchange for a territorial compromise. According to a US official, the plan consists of four main components: Ukraine’s reconstruction, security guarantees, economic integration, and a ceasefire along the current front line.
The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius writes about the proposal, citing a US official familiar with the negotiations and a European diplomat. The article was published in the Opinions section and describes a plan that is still under discussion.
The talks intensified last Friday during a six-hour meeting in Florida hosted by US presidential envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Ukrainian officials as well as representatives of the United Kingdom, France and Germany took part.
According to the US official, the idea is to broaden the framework of the negotiations and show both sides what the postwar situation could look like.
“We need to make the problem and the solution bigger to help both sides see what the postwar situation would be — and then make concessions,” the source explained.
First pillar — large-scale reconstruction of Ukraine
The first component of a potential agreement would be financing Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.
According to Ignatius, the World Bank and investment firm BlackRock are working on a mechanism that could raise funds to rebuild devastated regions, restore the economy and support the families of killed and wounded service members.
Negotiators have asked Kyiv to provide detailed estimates of the required costs, as well as assurances that the funds would be protected from misuse after the war ends.
The Ukrainian side is expected to provide the relevant estimates in the coming days, unless the negotiating process collapses.
Second pillar — security guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5
The second key component would be long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.
According to the US official, the United States and European countries could commit to responding militarily if Russia attacks Ukraine again. The WP source compared such guarantees in substance to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty on collective defense.
At the same time, as part of a broader agreement, Russia could also be offered negotiations with European countries over its stated security concerns. It remains unclear what exactly such arrangements might involve.
Third pillar — an energy deal with Russia
Another element of the plan could be the economic integration of Ukraine, Russia and Europe through new energy arrangements.
One option under discussion would involve transporting Russian oil and gas to Europe through a pipeline, with Ukraine and Russia potentially sharing the revenues.
According to the US official, such a scheme could reduce energy costs in Europe while also giving Russia “long-term access to the European energy market.”
A potential peace agreement would also set out the conditions and timetable for the possible lifting of economic sanctions on Russia.
The most difficult issue — territory
The fourth part of the plan would be the most difficult for Kyiv.
Under the framework described by WP, Russia would agree to a ceasefire roughly along the current line of contact.
For Ukraine, this would mean Russia retaining de facto control over the territories it currently occupies, including part of the Donbas. The article does not suggest legal recognition of these territories as Russian.
Another problem is defining the line of control itself, as the situation on the battlefield changes almost every day.
US demands an end to strikes on Russian refineries
The negotiating process has also been complicated by the dispute over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil-refining infrastructure.
According to WP, Kushner and Witkoff again asked the Ukrainian delegation during the Florida meeting to stop attacking Russian refineries. The US official said Washington had raised the issue around six times in recent months amid rising diesel prices.
Ukraine refused, as strikes on refineries have become one of its important tools for putting pressure on the Russian economy. A European diplomat quoted by Ignatius acknowledged that the attacks were having a tangible effect and strengthening Volodymyr Zelensky’s negotiating leverage.
According to the US official, the continuation of the diplomatic mission to Moscow now depends on resolving this issue.
“If Zelensky agrees to halt refinery attacks, we’re back in, and we go to Moscow,” he said.
Europe wants negotiations to continue
Despite European allies’ dissatisfaction with Donald Trump’s agreement involving Russian diesel fuel, according to the WP source, they do not intend to withdraw from the negotiating process.
The key question remains unchanged — whether Vladimir Putin is prepared to agree to ending the war on the proposed terms.
The European diplomat told the newspaper that intelligence available to Western countries does not currently provide grounds to believe that the Russian president is serious about reaching a peace agreement.
Ignatius also stresses in his column that the initiative described remains a diplomatic proposal rather than an agreed peace plan, and that its implementation will depend on whether Kyiv and Moscow are prepared to make compromises.
Earlier, “Glavnoe in Ukraine” reported that during a closed six-hour meeting in Florida, US representatives demanded that the Ukrainian delegation stop strikes on Russian oil refineries and also informed it of Donald Trump’s decision to suspend sanctions on Russian diesel fuel. The negotiating process subsequently came under threat, while a planned trip to Moscow by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner was put on hold.
