Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday presented a new U.S.-Ukrainian peace proposal that departs from earlier drafts by adding security guarantees for Kyiv.
Russian officials and analysts signaled the Kremlin is unlikely to accept terms it does not view as a battlefield or political victory.
The 20-point plan, developed by Ukrainian and American officials, was introduced by Zelenskyy as a revised alternative to an earlier October proposal that would have required Ukraine to cede territory and formally abandon any path to NATO membership.
Zelenskyy described the new blueprint as a reasonable compromise to a plan drawn up by Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian envoy, and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for President Donald Trump.
The updated version includes security guarantees sought by Kyiv to deter future Russian aggression, along with provisions focused on rebuilding Ukraine after nearly four years of war.
Despite those changes, analysts close to Moscow said the Kremlin remains emboldened by its battlefield position and constrained by domestic political realities that make compromise difficult to portray as success.
"This is an absolute mockery," Aleksei Naumov, a Moscow-based international affairs analyst, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. "The idea is clear: Pitch this to the Americans as a 'compromise,' and then blame Russia for its failure."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted on two core demands: that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the remaining parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and that NATO membership be ruled out.
He reiterated that position Friday during his annual news conference, saying Moscow could make some "accommodations," widely interpreted as potentially relinquishing limited territory in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions, while remaining prepared to fight to fully occupy Donetsk.
Under the Ukrainian proposal, Russian forces would be required to withdraw from the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions. Ukraine would also pull back troops from portions of Donetsk designated as a demilitarized zone, but only if Russia withdrew from an equivalent area.
"The plan offers no compromise regarding the territories or the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," said Georgi Bovt, a Russian analyst. "Failing to resolve the territorial issue renders this a nonstarter."
While Russia's invasion has strained its economy, analysts say Moscow still believes time favors its position.
Russia controls roughly three quarters of the Donetsk region and, at its current pace, could take the remainder in 18 months.
Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Wednesday that 417,000 recruits signed new military contracts in 2025, a figure consistent with independent estimates.
Analysts say Russia continues talks in part to preserve working relations with Washington and to avoid sole blame for prolonging the conflict.
Moscow also faces pressure from U.S. sanctions imposed in October on oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, which have forced steeper discounts on Russian crude.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Wednesday that Putin was briefed on the new proposal and that Moscow was assessing its response.
"Our colleagues in the United States are well aware of the main parameters of Russia's position," Peskov said.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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