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.
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. The proposal includes sweeping additional concessions: • Russian becomes an official state language • The Russian Orthodox Church is given official legal status • Ukraine’s army is cut to 400,000 • All long-range missiles are surrendered • No foreign troops allowed • U.S. military aid stops • Foreign diplomatic aircraft barred from landing
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. 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.
All this comes as Russian forces continue major advances across Donbas, controlling roughly 20% of Ukraine. If adopted, the Donbas lease would represent the first major territorial rental agreement of the 21st century—and could reshape European security for decades.
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