A new United States peace proposal would require Ukraine to cede occupied territories and significantly reduce its military strength, a source familiar with the plan told AFP on Wednesday. The development came as a Russian missile and drone strike on the western city of Ternopil killed 26 people, including three children.
The proposal mirrors key Russian demands, including recognition of Moscow’s control over Crimea and other seized regions, reduction of Ukraine’s army to 400,000 personnel, and surrender of long-range weapons. Ukrainian officials say the terms amount to capitulation, and it remains unclear whether the plan reflects President Donald Trump’s position or that of his advisers.
The strike on Ternopil one of the deadliest in western Ukraine since the war began in 2022 hit residential buildings at dawn, trapping families under rubble. Rescue teams worked through heavy smoke to reach survivors, while authorities warned of hazardous chlorine levels in the air. The State Emergency Service confirmed 26 deaths and 92 injuries.
“These were people simply at home, peacefully sleeping,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said, condemning the attack. UN human rights chief Volker Türk described the civilian toll as “appalling.”
The US proposal emerged as Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll arrived in Kyiv at the head of a Pentagon delegation for high-level talks. Ukrainian defence leaders, including Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, pressed for stronger air defences and expanded strike capabilities.
Meanwhile, US outlet Axios reported that Washington and Moscow have been exploring a secret roadmap to end the nearly four-year war. The Kremlin declined to comment, saying only that there was no new progress on peace talks.
The Ternopil strike comes as Russia intensifies attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid ahead of winter and continues to advance on the frontline. Zelensky, who met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week, is pushing for renewed prisoner exchanges and hopes US pressure could bring Russia to the negotiating table.
Moscow maintains it will continue fighting until Kyiv accepts its terms.
