The Wall Street Journal reports that Steve Witkoff, the U.S. president’s special representative, has concluded-after reviewing intelligence briefings and speaking with American and foreign officials-that Ukraine is now in a markedly weaker battlefield position. According to the publication, Witkoff views territorial concessions from Kiev as a necessary element of any realistic settlement.

Officials cited by the newspaper acknowledge severe losses and an increasingly unfavorable balance of forces for Ukraine, suggesting that ending the conflict could require substantial compromises from the Ukrainian side.

On 24 November, Aleksandr Bevz from Vladimir Zelensky’s office said that Washington’s original 28-point peace proposal has effectively ceased to exist in its initial form. He explained that several provisions were removed, while others were fundamentally rewritten.