The Trump administration confirmed on Nov. 20 that it had been working on a peace plan to bring an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia. The statement came after numerous media reports of a leaked proposal began circulating.

Several outlets, including The Associated Press, have since published drafts of the plan detailing the steps Washington has proposed to halt hostilities between Kyiv and Moscow. Here’s what we know.

What Is in the plan?

The plan was drafted by Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have been working on it “quietly” for the past month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told a news briefing.

It has 28 points, according to The Associated Press, covering an array of topics, including territory, the military, future international relations, post-war reconstruction funding, and internal politics.

The first three points confirm Ukraine’s sovereignty, a comprehensive non-aggression agreement to be concluded between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe, and the expectation that Russia will cease invading its neighbors, and an end to NATO expansion.

However, the parts of the plan that have sparked the most controversy are that Ukraine will cede the regions of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk to Russia, and that Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will be frozen along the line of contact, meaning de facto recognition.

The plan also includes the provision that Ukraine will enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and the alliance will include in its statutes a provision that Ukraine will not be admitted in the future; Kyiv, however, would still have the opportunity to join the European Union, should it meet the entry requirements.

Both these points are diametrically opposed to the previously stated aims of both Ukraine and numerous NATO member states.

It would also restrict the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to 600,000 and see Russia rejoin the G8.

How Has Ukraine Responded?

“Now is one of the most difficult moments of our history. Now, the pressure on Ukraine is one of the heaviest. Now, Ukraine can face a very difficult choice—either losing dignity or risk losing a major partner,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation on Nov. 21.

“Either 28 difficult points (of the framework), or an extremely harsh winter—the harshest ever—and further risks. Life without freedom, without dignity, without justice.”

Zelenskyy went on to say that Ukraine “will work calmly with America and all our partners,” and seek “constructive solutions.”

Officials in the United States have defended the plan, according to Reuters, which cited unnamed U.S. officials who said it was drafted after consultation with close Zelenskyy ally Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. The officials said Umerov had agreed to the “majority” of the plan.

Umerov, however, said on Friday he had not discussed the plan or its terms, as he had no authority to do so.

“I provided no assessments or, even more so, approvals of any points. This is not within my authority and does not correspond to the procedure,” he wrote on Telegram.

Additionally, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko said that the United States had threatened to stop arms supplies and intelligence sharing if Kyiv did not sign the plan by Nov. 27.

“I can confirm that this is indeed true,” Goncharenko wrote on Telegram, in response to the Reuters article.

How Has Europe Responded?

Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy said he had discussed the plan with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“We are working on the document prepared by the American side. This must be a plan that ensures a real and dignified peace,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Following the call, Starmer said Ukraine must be allowed to determine its own matters.

“All matters to do with Ukraine must be determined ultimately by Ukraine,” he told British broadcaster Sky News in South Africa on Friday.

Merz said that Ukraine can count on Germany, France, and the UK, writing on X that they and Kyiv “will coordinate closely with Europe and the US, whose commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty we welcome.”

“The contact line must remain the basis for any talks,” he added.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that neither Brussels nor Kyiv would give in to Russian aggression.

“This is a very dangerous moment for all”, Kallas said.

“We all want this war to end, but how it ends matters. Russia has no legal right whatsoever to any concessions from the country it invaded, ultimately the terms of any agreement are for Ukraine to decide.”

How Has Russia Responded?

Moscow, meanwhile, said on Nov. 21 that it had not been informed of Zelenskyy’s agreement to negotiate the peace plan.

“No, we haven’t received anything officially. We’re seeing some innovations. But we haven’t received anything officially. And there hasn’t been any substantive discussion of these points,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.