The Trump administration’s 28-point peace plan for Ukraine includes a shockingly unconventional proposal: Ukraine would “lease” the entire Donbas region to Russia, allowing Moscow to control the territory without Ukraine formally ceding it.<br /><br />According to reporting from The Telegraph, Reuters, and other outlets, the lease structure is designed to bypass Ukraine’s constitutional requirement that any permanent territorial loss must first be approved by a nationwide referendum.<br />The proposal includes sweeping additional concessions:<br /> • Russian becomes an official state language<br /> • The Russian Orthodox Church is given official legal status<br /> • Ukraine’s army is cut to 400,000<br /> • All long-range missiles are surrendered<br /> • No foreign troops allowed<br /> • U.S. military aid stops<br /> • Foreign diplomatic aircraft barred from landing<br /><br />This approach relies on a 2018 Ukrainian Constitutional Court ruling that allowed “leasing of territory” for military use, a loophole Trump negotiators believe avoids violating territorial integrity laws.<br />President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the proposal, and a planned meeting with U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff was abruptly postponed.<br /><br />All this comes as Russian forces continue major advances across Donbas, controlling roughly 20% of Ukraine.<br />If adopted, the Donbas lease would represent the first major territorial rental agreement of the 21st century—and could reshape European security for decades.<br /><br /><br />#Ukraine #Russia #Donbas #Trump #Zelensky #UkraineWar #PeacePlan #Geopolitics
