UK says only Ukrainians can decide their future amid reports of US-Russia draft peace plan

Downing Street has reiterated that the future of Ukraine must be determined solely by its own people, responding to reports that the United States and Russia have drafted a potential plan to end the war.

Asked about the reported proposal — which would require Kyiv to cede further territory and limit the size of its armed forces — a No 10 spokesperson told the Guardian the UK shared the goal of ending the conflict but stressed that any settlement must be just and acceptable to Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports.

“We share President Trump’s desire to bring this barbaric war to an end,” the spokesperson said. “Russia could do this tomorrow by withdrawing its forces and ending its illegal invasion, but instead [President Vladimir - ed.] Putin continues to send a barrage of missiles and drones into Ukraine, destroying the lives of innocent Ukrainians, including children and the elderly.”

The spokesperson added that London “welcomes all efforts that seek to secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” but underscored once again that “only the Ukrainian people can determine their future.”

I"n the meantime, we will continue our support for Ukraine and help ensure that they have the military equipment and resources they need to defend themselves from such continued aggression while sustaining economic pressure on people to bear down on the revenues that are funding the war," the official said. 

According to reports by Axios, the Financial Times and The New York Times, US and Russian officials have drafted a 28-point proposal aimed at ending the war. Under the outline, Ukraine would reportedly be required to relinquish remaining parts of the Russian-occupied eastern Donbas region, cut its armed forces by half, and scale back or abandon certain categories of weaponry — especially long-range missiles capable of striking targets inside Russia.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to meet senior Pentagon officials in Kyiv on November 20. US officials have not confirmed the details of the reported plan, with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller saying he had “no news or announcements” to make on the matter.

By Sabina Mammadli