Ukraine's Frontline Soldiers Respond to Draft US Peace Plan

Mon Nov 24 2025 14:55:21 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Ukrainian soldiers express defiance, anger, and resignation to a new US peace proposal, which suggests conceding territory and limiting armed forces.

In the wake of leaked US draft peace proposals, Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline have voiced their mixed reactions, ranging from anger and defiance to resignation. The proposals, which include territorial concessions and reduced military size, have sparked intense discourse among troops, with many questioning their effectiveness. As negotiations continue, the need for security guarantees remains a priority for Ukraine's military personnel as they seek an end to the protracted conflict.

Ukraine's frontline soldiers have reacted to draft US peace proposals with a mixture of defiance, anger and resignation.

The BBC spoke to half a dozen who sent us their views via social media and email in response to the original US plan – details of which were leaked last week.

Since then, American and Ukrainian negotiators have been working on changes to the proposals and are set to continue talks about the peace framework.

Of the original US plan, Yaroslav, in eastern Ukraine, says it sucks… no one will support it while an army medic with the call sign Shtutser dismissed it as an absolutely disgraceful draft of a peace plan, unworthy of our attention.

But one soldier with the call sign Snake told us it's time to agree at least on something.

This is what the soldiers who spoke to the BBC had to say about some of the key points in the original US draft peace plan.

Giving up territory

The US put forward a draft peace proposal at a time when Russia is making significant advances on the battlefield. Over the past month alone Ukraine has lost a further 450 sq km to Russia.

Kyiv still controls around 15% of the Donbas region, the eastern part of Ukraine encompassing the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts which is a key war goal for Russia. But the original US plan proposes that Ukraine give up the entire region - even parts it has successfully defended for nearly four years of full-scale war.

Let them take it, Snake told the BBC. There's practically no one left in the cities and villages… We're not fighting for the people but for the land, while losing more people.

Andrii, an officer in Ukraine's general staff, says that what is being proposed for Luhansk and Donetsk is painful and difficult but he suggests the country may have no other choice.

Cutting the size of Ukraine's armed forces

The US draft peace plan envisages limiting the size of Ukraine's armed forces to 600,000. That is still significantly more than before the full-scale invasion when its full-time strength was around 250,000, but smaller than its current size. The most recent estimates suggest Ukraine's military strength is more than 800,000.

Army medic Shtutser does not agree, saying that Ukraine's army is the only thing separating us from defeat and enslavement while Matros calls the proposal to reduce the size of the armed forces absurd and manipulative.

Security guarantees

Ukraine's willingness to agree to the proposals will depend on its future security guarantees. The US draft plan rules out Ukraine's membership of Nato, but not of the European Union.

However, other soldiers suggest there is no great faith in the US either. US security guarantees under its current government are not guarantees at all, says Schtutser.