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GIWPS Analysis: Trump’s 28-point Plan for Peace in Ukraine

On Friday, President Donald Trump told Ukraine they must accept a new peace deal by Thanksgiving. The 28-point plan for peace was drafted by US Middle East Envoy Steve Wittkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian envoy currently under US sanctions, with alleged involvement of Trump’s family member Jared Kushner, and without input from Ukraine or European allies. It would require Ukraine to surrender territory currently not occupied by Russia, deny it from ever becoming a member of NATO, force it to hold elections in 100 days from the start of the peace deal, and significantly reduce its army, while Russia would be reintegrated into the global economy. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the deal forces his country to choose between its “dignity” and a “key partner.”

Ukrainians are currently negotiating with the US in Geneva.

“There can be no just peace in Ukraine when the aggressor dictates the terms and the US, as a global leader, signals capitulation without fully considering the consequences for Ukraine and for international credibility,” said Ambassador Melanne Verveer, executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS). 

Although the plan stipulates “Ukraine’s sovereignty to be reconfirmed,” it undermines the nation’s sovereignty by requiring it to cede land and military control. It also upsets the international principle of territorial integrity, the cornerstone that has protected the Transatlantic community from large-scale war since World War II. 

In particular, the plan risks the lives and futures of millions of women and girls by exposing them to Russian rule. In Russian-occupied territories, women and girls face ethnic cleansing, forced Russification, and systematic violence. In Ukrainian-controlled areas, civilians remain targets of airstrikes on infrastructure, with survivors rarely seeing justice. Russia would not be held accountable for the war crimes it has committed against Ukrainians, and it, could continue to do so without consequence.

“Rewarding Russian aggression through sanctions relief, territorial concessions, or reintegration into the G8 would set a dangerous precedent, encouraging other states to use military force to achieve their objectives,” said Ana Lejava, GIWPS Senior Policy Officer. 

The Trump administration must carefully assess the plan’s impact—not only on Ukraine and the millions of women, girls, and other civilians who would be left behind in Russian-occupied territories without protection or justice, but also on U.S. national security and societal resilience. Allowing Ukrainian defense technologies and a highly experienced military force to fall into Russian hands would pose a direct threat not only to Europe but also to the United States. At the same time, Ukrainian civil society offers a powerful model of resilience, democratic innovation, and community mobilization amid conflict—lessons that are increasingly relevant as the United States confronts rising hybrid threats and the weaponization of emerging technologies by malign actors.

In convenings hosted by GIWPS with Ukrainian women leaders, they have strongly expressed what should comprise a peace agreement. Any legitimate negotiation must be substantive, inclusive, and participatory, involving Ukraine, Europe, civil society, local communities, and women leaders. These points are included in their Ukraine Compact for Just and Sustainable Peace, which provides a blueprint for a durable and equitable resolution. We urge the administration to listen to the voices from the ground.

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