Ukraine could be “forced to cut its army and lease land to Russia” under an American plan to end its war with Russia.
The US deal would include Kyiv giving up control of the eastern Donbas region, but keep legal ownership.
In return, Moscow would pay an undisclosed amount for control of the region, officials told The Telegraph.
The 28-point plan was debated between America and Russia in recent talks, heightening previous fears that Ukraine is not being involved in the process.
The deal would also see Ukraine’s military slashed to half its size, and it would be banned from possessing long-range missiles.
Additionally, deployments of foreign troops in Ukraine would be blocked, US military assistance ended and the landing of foreign diplomatic aircrafts in the country prevented.
Russian would be made the official language of the region, with the Russian Orthodox Church given official status.
However, Ukraine would be allowed to negotiate security guarantees from Western governments in order to help maintain any ceasefire.
The US deal would include Kyiv giving up control of the eastern Donbas region
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Ukrainian officials dismissed the plan and Moscow denied any knowledge of it.
But sources said the White House had told Volodymyr Zelensky, who is currently embroiled in a corruption scandal, he must agree to the terms of the deal.
The Ukrainian President has ruled out surrendering the entire Donbas region, which is rich in minerals, numerous times, while Vladimir Putin has continued to demand it since his talks with Donald Trump in August.
The US President had previously rejected the idea of Ukraine giving up land after lots of pressure from Ukraine and other European countries.
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Volodymyr Zelensky is though to be unhappy with the proposed deal
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It is understood the lease deal would be used as a way to get around the public vote which Ukraine’s constitution would force the Government to undertake if it was to fully cede the territory.
The plan is thought to have been drawn up during three days of talks between Steve Witkoff, Mr Trump’s peace envoy, and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian envoy, last month in Miami.
Mr Dmitriev said he was optimistic about the deal because Moscow feels “the Russian position is really being heard”, according to Axios.
He added: “It’s happening with the background of Russia definitely having additional successes on the battlefield.”
Donald Trump had previously rejected the idea of Ukraine giving up any land
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The Russian envoy said America would set out the “benefits” of the deal to Ukraine and its European allies.
Mr Witkoff had been set to meet with Mr Zelensky on Wednesday.
However, the meeting was postponed, supposedly because the Ukrainian President was going to bring an alternative plan which the US did not see as suitable.
