The White House’s new plan would require Ukraine to surrender the remainder of the Donbas to Russia in exchange for US security guarantees—a deal that Kyiv has rejected before.
After weeks of a diplomatic impasse on how to end the war in Ukraine, the White House has made another proposal to Kyiv.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House has tied its offer for security guarantees after the war is over to Ukraine giving up the entire Eastern Donbas region to Russia.
Trump’s Proposal: The Donbas in Exchange for Peace
In recent comments to reporters, Zelensky revealed that the White House has kept the Donbas issue on the table. Specifically, the Trump administration proposed an exchange: in return for Kyiv’s concession of the resource-rich part of Ukraine to Russia, the United States would provide security guarantees to Ukraine against any future Russian aggression.
“The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,” the Ukrainian President told Reuters on Wednesday.
One of Kyiv’s main points for peace centers around security guarantees from the United States or NATO. The Ukrainians have been neighbors to the Russians for centuries—and thus best understand that future Russian aggression remains a possibility regardless of how this conflict ends.
The Don River Basin (Donbas) is the industrial heart of Ukraine, and a wholesale territorial concession of the region to Russia would cause significant economic harm to Kyiv. Moreover, handing the Donbas to Russia would reduce Ukraine’s ability to defend from future Russian aggression. Kyiv has established a defensive line in the Donbas consisting of fortified urban centers. Nicknamed the “Fortress Belt,” this defensive line is acting as a water breaker for Russian offensives. And it is proving very effective.
“The Middle East definitely has an impact on President [Donald] Trump… [he] still chooses a strategy to put more pressure on the Ukrainian side,” Zelenskyy added, highlighting how the ongoing war in Iran was potentially affecting America’s focus and position with regard to Russia’s invasion.
Trump Has Proposed Surrendering Land Before
This is not the first time the White House has proposed that Ukraine cede the Donbas region to Russia in exchange for a negotiated end to the four-year conflict. The initial 28-point plan the White House proposed last year—widely panned by defense analysts as a slanted deal favorable to the Kremlin—contained a provision to the same effect.
“Well, I think the land you’re talking about, some of that land has been taken. Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months, and are you better off making a deal now,” Trump said about the Donbas issue in December 2025.
The original 28-point plan proved to be highly controversial, with some reports even indicating that it was drafted by the Kremlin. Indeed, special envoy Steve Witkoff was embroiled in a scandal after his phone conversations with Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s top foreign policy aide, were leaked to the press. In those calls, Witkoff had seemed to advise the Russian official on how better to deal with Trump.
The Ukrainians rejected the proposal at the time, and it is almost certain that they will reject it again now. Too many Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been killed defending the Donbas from Russian aggression since 2014 for Zelensky to surrender the region now. The human sacrifice, coupled with the economic factor and patriotic pride, makes any territorial concessions beyond what Russia has already captured extremely difficult.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglouis a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operationsand a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
