US recognition of occupied territories of Ukraine: details of Trump’s plan
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo
The United States is allegedly ready to take the historically unacceptable step of effectively recognizing Russia’s control over the occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea, in order to reach a peace agreement.
This is reported by The Telegraph, citing its own sources.
According to the publication, former US President Donald Trump sent his special representative Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Moscow to deliver a “direct proposal” to Putin regarding the terms of ending the war.
“The plan to recognize territories, which contradicts US diplomatic traditions, is likely to be implemented, despite the concerns of Ukraine’s European allies,” the journalists report.
The publication’s sources note that the American leadership is allegedly indifferent to Europe’s reaction, and the main priority remains a quick end to the fighting.
According to the publication, Witkoff developed a detailed 28-point plan that provides for the de facto recognition of Crimea and two regions of Donbas under Russian control, as well as partial recognition of the territories of Kherson and Zaporizhia regions after a ceasefire.
After that, in Geneva, Ukrainian and American officials allegedly agreed on a new, more “compromising” 19-point plan, less favorable to Moscow. At the same time, sources emphasize that the idea of recognizing the occupied territories still remains on Washington’s agenda.
As experts note, even a hint of possible recognition of territories occupied by Russia could cause serious diplomatic disputes between the United States and its European allies, as well as a significant resonance in Ukraine.
As a reminder, on Friday, November 21, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the conversation, the leaders reaffirmed full support for Ukraine in preserving its sovereignty and emphasized that the current contact line should remain the starting point for any future peace agreements.
As previously reported, the US has increased pressure on Ukraine and Russia on the issue of peace talks . According to Reuters, Washington insisted that Kyiv agree to a framework agreement to end the war by November 27.
By the way, Donald Trump’s special representative Steve Witkoff gave advice to the Russian president’s aide Yuri Ushakov on how to properly present the Kremlin’s proposals for a possible settlement of the war in Ukraine to the American leader. Moreover, according to some indications, the peace plan itself could have been of Russian origin.
Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.