The United States has reportedly proposed easing sanctions on Russia as part of a plan shared with allies to support a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, the plan was presented in Paris on Thursday and cited European Union officials familiar with the matter.
The development follows discussions between French President Emmanuel Macron and US envoy Steve Witkoff, as reported by Bloomberg on Friday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other national security advisors also engaged with foreign negotiators to help end the ongoing conflict.
Sources indicated that the US proposal envisions the war being “frozen,” with Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine remaining under Moscow’s control for the time being.
Furthermore, under the plan, Ukraine would not pursue NATO membership. In exchange, Russia could see some sanctions eased, though the removal of EU restrictions, such as the unfreezing of assets, would require unanimous approval from all EU member states.
The proposal is not intended to be a final settlement, one EU official told Bloomberg. European allies would still refrain from recognizing the Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine as official Russian territory.
The official added that further discussions are needed, especially with Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted on Kyiv’s inclusion in any peace negotiations.
For the plan to proceed, officials noted, Russia would need to agree to halt hostilities and Ukraine would require credible security assurances.
As of now, none of the main parties involved—including President Donald Trump, President Vladimir Putin, or President Volodymyr Zelensky—have made public statements on the reported proposal.