Washington’s “Peace Plan” Looks More Like Ukraine’s Surrender
Trump team may even lift sanctions and halt war-crimes investigations as U.S. envoys land in Kyiv pushing a secret 28-point deal drafted with Moscow. European allies blindsided; Kyiv alarmed
HOT TAKE
What’s unfolding looks less like a peace initiative and more like the opening salvo of a Donald Trump-inspired geopolitical carve-up - with Ukraine expected to pay the price. The fact that this 28-point blueprint was drafted in Miami by Trump’s real-estate envoy and a Kremlin insider, without Kyiv or European allies even briefed, tells you everything about the power dynamics at play.
The latest Bloomberg reporting - that sanctions relief for Russia and even a halt to war-crimes investigations are now on the table - moves this from troubling to dangerous. It signals to Moscow that mass atrocities, energy blackmail, and the leveling of Ukrainian cities can simply be negotiated away.
For Kyiv, it’s existential: giving up territory, shrinking its military, and accepting limits on NATO cooperation would lock in vulnerability for generations. It would amount to game-over for the Ukraine we know — a forced rewriting of its borders, its security, and its sovereignty.
For Europe, it’s a bitter reminder that its security can still be bargained away by others. As I told the BBC this evening, we arrived at this moment after decades of feeble European defence spending and the chronic outsourcing of security to NATO - in other words, to the United States. Little wonder the rules-based international order feels in free fall now more than ever.
And for the United States, it raises the uncomfortable question of whether rushing toward a “deal” is really about ending the war — or ending the political inconvenience of it.
In other words: this is peace by diktat, crafted far from the battlefield and even farther from reality.
“No Inch of Ukraine Is Safe”: My Live CNN Analysis from the G20 in Johannesburg
Russia’s latest overnight attacks on Ukraine — including the horrific strike on Ternopil, birthplace of Ukrainian nationalism and ancestral home to millions in the global diaspora — underscore a grim reality: no inch of Ukraine is safe.
In this live CNN interview from the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, I break down:
🇺🇦 Why Russia is targeting Western Ukraine
🔥 The human impact
⚡ Ukraine’s winter on the brink
🇺🇸 Washington’s missteps
🌍 Who can lead? Turkey.
🎥 Filmed live from Johannesburg, South Africa, as G20 leaders grapple with geopolitical fractures and widening war.
Senior Pentagon officials have arrived in Ukraine to “discuss efforts to end the war” with Russia, the US military has said. The team, led by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, held talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Thursday morning. They are expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later in the day. Reports began surfacing on Wednesday that the US and Russia had prepared a new proposed framework to end the war, requiring major concessions from Ukraine including giving up territory and dramatically shrinking its military. It was reportedly drafted by President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Neither Washington nor Moscow have officially confirmed the plan. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X that achieving a “durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions”. He said the US was consulting both sides of the conflict to “develop a list of potential ideas for ending this war”. Driscoll’s team is the most senior military group to travel to Kyiv since Trump took office in January. He is joined by Army chief of staff Gen Randy George, top US army commander in Europe Gen Chris Donahue, and sergeant major of the army Michael Weimer. Details of the draft Witkoff-Dmitriev 28-point plan emerged more than three weeks after the two men are said to have spent three days in meetings in Miami, Florida. Citing people familiar with the matter, Axios, the Financial Times and Reuters reported that the plans call for Kyiv to give up areas of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine that it still controls, to cut significantly the size of its armed forces, and to forego many of its weapons. Zelensky has repeatedly ruled out any territorial concessions to Russia - BBC
American allies and Ukrainian officials were scrambling on Wednesday to understand the terms of a Trump administration peace proposal for Ukraine, with many worrying it meant the U.S. could cave to Russian demands in a rush to end the fighting. As European and U.S. officials alike sought clarity, they said many aspects of the plan remained in flux, including the role of NATO and any Ukrainian territorial concessions to Russia. Ukrainian and European officials felt blindsided as the existence of Witkoff’s plan became public, a pain particularly sharp because they felt Trump had finally begun to realize Putin’s insincerity in reaching a settlement, said the person and another familiar with the matter. The 28-point plan — the existence of which was first reported by Axios — would in its current form require significant concessions from Ukraine, including restraints on its military and giving up major territorial tracts, according to a third person familiar with the effort. But the person stressed that the provisions of the plan remained negotiable. One aspect U.S. officials are still pondering is whether and how to mention NATO, the person said. The discussion of NATO has not been previously reported. “We have not been briefed on this,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters Wednesday. “There are ongoing efforts by all international partners to finally get President Putin to the negotiating table.” He added: “We naturally support everything that leads in this direction. We are focusing on supporting Ukraine and thus making it very clear to Putin that there is no alternative to a negotiation process.” - Politico
The US has changed its mind about attending the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa’s president has said, without confirming whether Donald Trump, who had said the US would boycott the event, now wanted to come. Trump has claimed that South Africa racially discriminates against the minority white Afrikaner community, which led the country during the apartheid regime that ended in 1994. Earlier this month, the US president alleged there were “abuses” of white farmers, including violence and land confiscation, and said it was a “disgrace” that South Africa was hosting the G20. South Africa’s government has vehemently denied the accusations and pressed ahead with its plans to host the first G20 summit in Africa. The two-day summit opens in Johannesburg on Saturday - The Guardian
US President Donald Trump reportedly approved covert CIA plans inside Venezuela that could pave the way for a broader military campaign in the country. While the White House says its focus is on halting drug trafficking, experts believe its real aim is to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who reportedly agreed to stand down after a delay of two or three years, an offer rejected by the White House. Washington’s campaign, which includes the deployment of the world’s biggest aircraft carrier, has triggered a rally in defaulted Venezuelan bonds, reflecting investors’ enthusiasm for a country with enormous economic promise: According to Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel peace laureate María Corina Machado, the economic benefits of a transition could be worth $2 trillion - Semafor
Footage of a Japanese diplomat appearing to bow to his Chinese counterpart following their talks in Beijing on Tuesday has prompted a complaint from Tokyo that it was not informed about media filming after the meeting. It comes amid a diplomatic feud between Beijing and Tokyo over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks over Taiwan. Tuesday’s meeting between China’s Asia affairs chief and his Japanese counterpart ended without consensus - SCMP
China is furious at Takaichi for bringing up a possible Taiwan contingency earlier this month - but so far no major anti-Japan protest has taken place. In 2012, huge demonstrations by Chinese citizens erupted after Japan nationalized the Senkaku Islands, a group of small uninhabited islets that China claims as part of its territory. The Chinese economy was booming 13 years ago, and the government was confident in its ability to control the protests. But now the country is facing a negative wealth effect and high youth unemployment. If President Xi Jinping’s administration were to tolerate anti-Japan demonstrations, they could spread across the country and spin out of control with protesters also venting their pent-up frustrations over the Chinese economy. Now, as China takes countermeasures to limit economic and other exchanges with Japan, the question is how long the neighbors will be locked in confrontation - Nikkei
A new independent television station with ties to Russia is set to be launched in Kyrgyzstan, fueling fears the media outlet could become a tool for spreading Moscow’s propaganda in Central Asia. Nomad TV’s editorial leadership includes Anna Abakumova, a Russian journalist who previously worked for the state-funded network RT and is a close associate of Margarita Simonyan, one of the Kremlin’s chief propagandists. The launch of Nomad TV on November 27 is seen as an attempt by Moscow to boost its influence in Central Asia, a region where Russia’s clout has taken a hit since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The new TV station will go on air just days before Kyrgyzstan’s snap parliamentary elections on November 30. Experts say President Sadyr Japarov, who has rolled back political and media freedoms in the impoverished country, is attempting to use the vote to consolidate power - RFE/RL
A Miss Universe contestant was sent to another planet during a catwalk when she accidentally stepped off the stage. Miss Jamaica entrant, Dr. Gabrielle Henry, had to be carried from the room on a stretcher after her tumble, which drew gasps from the crowd. She had been competing in the preliminary round of the contest in Bangkok, Thailand. She was wearing a striking orange dress and was looking out at the audience when she plummeted from her podium. Viewers stood and craned to see the woman on the floor. When she was finally taken away via stretcher, the crowd applauded. She was taken to Paolo Rangsit Hospital. She did not suffer any broken bones. Jamaica’s Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport, Olivia Grange, said, “The entire country is praying for you, Gabrielle, and wishing you a full and speedy recovery.” In a post on Instagram, Miss Universe Jamaica said, “Medical professionals are attending to her care and have advised that she is not suffering from any life-threatening injuries; however, they continue to conduct tests to ensure her full recovery.” It added, “We kindly ask everyone to stay upbeat, lift her in prayer, and send positive thoughts as she receives the necessary medical care.” - Daily Beast
The journals……
