NYP: Ukraine open to de facto recognition of Russian-controlled territory in peace deal Rather than de jure

Ukraine is reportedly prepared to concede 20% of its territory to Russia, provided it is recognised de facto rather than de jure, according to senior officials involved in the discussions.

The revelation comes as US President Donald Trump prepares to unveil his proposed peace plan for the Ukraine war, which may include European troops enforcing a ceasefire in the conflict-stricken country, Caliber.Az reports, citing The New York Post. 

Trump, who has threatened to withdraw US involvement from the ceasefire talks, stated on April 21 that he would disclose the full details of his plan over the coming days. “I will be giving you a full detail over the next three days,” Trump told reporters. “But we had very good meetings on Ukraine, Russia … We’ll see how that works.”

A senior administration official revealed that one potential element of the proposal could involve the deployment of European forces to Ukraine to monitor the ceasefire, as well as a separate peacekeeping mission consisting of Russians, Ukrainians, and a third, non-NATO nation. This force would oversee the frontlines to ensure both sides adhere to the ceasefire.

In addition, the US might consider recognising Crimea as Russian territory, a stark shift from previous administrations, which have steadfastly rejected Moscow's annexation of the peninsula since 2014. While the official details of the plan are still being finalised, the US is believed to be willing to offer economic and financial support as part of a broader deal, rather than military intervention.

However, Kyiv has drawn a clear line regarding the recognition of Russian-occupied territories. While open to a de facto concession, Ukrainian officials have been adamant that such an agreement should not be seen as a permanent surrender. “’De facto’ means we recognise the Russians occupy this land, but we don’t say [Ukraine is] going to give it up forever,” the senior official clarified. “‘De jure’ means we acknowledge that [the Russians] take in this land and we’ll never see it back again.”

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who was involved in talks with US representatives last week, pushed back against reports suggesting that Ukraine was nearing agreement with the US on a peace deal. Umerov emphasised that his office does not engage in political decisions and stressed that Ukraine’s primary concern remains ensuring the ceasefire proposal can be effectively monitored.

“Our key question is how to ensure the cease-fire proposal can work and be reliably monitored,” Umerov said, underscoring Ukraine’s commitment to ending the war.

Despite Ukrainian optimism, Russia has yet to show a genuine commitment to peace, with President Vladimir Putin continuing to break the ceasefire declared over the Easter period. Trump, however, remains hopeful that an agreement may be reached.

“Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week. Both will then start to do big business with the US, which is thriving, and make a fortune!” he wrote on Truth Social.

As Trump prepares to push for a final offer to Russia this week, which may include a reduction in sanctions, the international community watches closely to see whether the warring parties will agree to end the conflict that has devastated Ukraine for over a year.

By Aghakazim Guliyev