"It is worth noting that neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nor any European leader was consulted in the backroom drafting. Spokesmen for Russian President Vladimir Putin say, a bit improbably, that they haven't seen the deal either. Even if its outlines were acceptable to both sides, several of its planks are ambiguous, requiring extensive negotiation. Still, Trump has demanded that Ukraine accept the plan before Thanksgiving."
"It reduces the size of the Ukrainian army to 600,000 troops ( it currently has about 880,000), while putting no cap on the number of Russian troops on Ukraine's borders. It demands that Ukraine revise its constitution to prohibit membership in NATO, bars NATO troops from being stationed in Ukraine, and forbids Ukraine from attacking Moscow or St. Petersburg with missiles (a peculiar clause-as Lawrence Freedman asks, "But [attacking] Rostov is OK?"), without barring Russia from firing missiles at cities in Ukraine."
A 28-point plan proposed by Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev offers Kyiv limited concessions but largely reflects Moscow's demands. Neither Ukrainian nor many European leaders were consulted, and Russian spokesmen say they have not seen the deal. The plan allows Ukraine to apply to the EU and commits $100 billion in seized Russian assets for reconstruction. Major provisions cede Crimea and parts of Donbas to Russia, shrink Ukraine's army to 600,000, place no cap on Russian troop numbers, prohibit NATO membership and bases, and restrict Ukrainian strike options while not preventing Russian strikes. A rapid acceptance timeline was demanded.
Read at Slate Magazine
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