European officials are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to halt Russia’s invasion along existing front lines, countering renewed demands from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Kyiv surrender territory in exchange for peace.

Under the emerging plan, a “peace board” chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump would oversee implementation once both sides agree to a ceasefire and commit to stopping further advances, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal — still being finalized — would include the return of deported Ukrainian children, prisoner exchanges, and a gradual lifting of sanctions on Moscow tied to compliance benchmarks.

Ukraine would receive new security guarantees, reconstruction funds, and a fast-track process for European Union membership. Roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets would remain off-limits until Moscow commits to contributing to Ukraine’s postwar recovery. The sanctions could automatically “snap back” if Russia renews hostilities, officials said.

While the framework calls for eventual talks on the governance of occupied territories, neither Ukraine nor its European partners would recognize any seized land as legally Russian. Russia has rejected the notion of freezing the conflict along current battle lines, despite steep casualties in the now four-year-old war.

Officials cautioned that details of the plan could still change and that formal backing from Washington remains essential. European negotiators may travel to the United States this week to coordinate next steps.

The proposal mirrors Trump’s recent calls for an immediate ceasefire along current positions. Following separate calls with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump said both sides should “stop where they are.”
“Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, reiterating that combat should end before negotiations over territory resume.

Trump also said he plans to meet with Putin in Budapest “in the coming weeks.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but the two failed to agree on preparatory talks for the summit. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “serious preparation” would be required before any meeting between the two leaders.

European leaders issued a statement Tuesday “strongly supporting” an immediate cessation of hostilities along current lines to enable peace talks. EU leaders are set to discuss the framework Thursday at a summit in Brussels, where additional sanctions on Moscow and use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine will also be on the agenda.

Zelenskiy, who has criticized Budapest as a venue given Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s close ties to Moscow, said he would attend if formally invited. “We have moved closer to a possible end to the war,” Zelenskiy said after his Washington visit. “That doesn’t mean it will definitely end, but President Trump has achieved a lot in the Middle East, and riding that wave he wants to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

Trump did not publicly address Ukraine’s ongoing requests for air defense and long-range weaponry following his meeting with Zelenskiy. U.S. officials present said Trump pressed Zelenskiy to consider a rapid deal, emphasizing Russia’s military advantages.

According to people familiar with the talks, Putin reiterated his demand that Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region — parts of which Russia has failed to fully occupy after more than a decade of fighting. Moscow also maintains claims over the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

Despite limited progress, European officials insist the current diplomatic push marks the most serious coordinated effort toward a ceasefire in months — though both Kyiv and Moscow remain far apart on fundamental territorial questions.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)