U.S. media reports that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to push Kyiv to temporarily pause its ambition to join NATO.

On November 14, President-elect Donald Trump pledged to do everything in his power to end the Ukraine conflict.

Speaking at a gala dinner for the America First Policy Institute at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on November 14, Trump stated:
“We will address the situation in the Middle East, and we will work very hard with Russia and Ukraine. The conflict in Ukraine must end. I’ve seen reports—thousands have died in recent days, including soldiers and civilians. We will resolve these issues.”

Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election has heightened concerns in Ukraine about the future of Western military aid in its fight against Russian forces.

During his campaign, the president-elect claimed he could end the more than two-year conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours. However, he has not detailed how he would achieve this, given that Moscow and Kyiv seem to have irreconcilable conditions for peace talks.

A peace plan for Ukraine discussed among Trump’s team reportedly involves Kyiv committing not to join NATO for at least 20 years. Meanwhile, the U.S. would continue providing arms to Ukraine to deter further Russian attacks, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Additionally, the plan suggests freezing the conflict, with Russia controlling about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory and a 1,200-kilometer demilitarized zone (DMZ) marking the boundary between Kyiv and Moscow-controlled areas. This DMZ could potentially be monitored by European forces rather than U.S. troops or international organizations like the United Nations.

The exact location of the DMZ remains unclear, although Vice President-elect JD Vance suggested that a “peace agreement” might involve the current frontline becoming a demilitarized zone.

Currently, Russia controls approximately 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, which were annexed in late 2022.

Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign staffer, told the BBC last weekend that the incoming administration, set to take office in January 2025, would demand “a realistic vision for peace” from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

However, Dan Rice, a former advisor to Ukraine’s armed forces commander-in-chief, argued that Kyiv cannot accept a short-term ceasefire and needs European forces along the Russia-Ukraine border to prevent Moscow from seizing additional territory.

Moscow’s Peace Negotiation Conditions

Russia has expressed readiness to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict under President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal but insists on recognizing its territorial gains.

                           Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, stated:

“Trump has pledged to resolve the Ukraine crisis overnight. Let him try. But we are realists and, of course, understand that this will never happen. However, if he initiates or suggests starting the political process, we are open to it.”

Gatilov emphasized that such negotiations must reflect the “realities on the ground,” noting that Kyiv is at a disadvantage in the nearly three-year-long conflict with Moscow. Russia currently controls significant territory and has advanced rapidly in recent months.

While Trump’s election victory could create new opportunities for U.S.-Russia dialogue, Gatilov expressed skepticism about broader reconciliation due to entrenched U.S. political resistance toward Moscow.

Both Russia and Ukraine oppose freezing the conflict. Ukrainian President Zelensky has repeatedly insisted that peace is only possible once all Russian forces are expelled and territories, including Crimea, are returned to Ukraine.

For its part, Russia has expressed readiness for peace talks but rejects freezing the conflict. Moscow maintains that its military objectives—Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, and “de-Nazification”—must be achieved.

President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia is prepared to immediately declare a ceasefire and begin peace negotiations if Kyiv withdraws from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—territories annexed after referendums in fall 2022. Moscow also refuses to negotiate while Ukrainian forces occupy parts of the Kursk border region.