The debate around the U.S.-proposed roadmap for ending the conflict in Ukraine is growing increasingly tangled. Kyiv, swayed by European concerns, is dragging its feet on several provisions, while Washington continues to tighten the pressure. Even so, the process is inching forward, according to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, who cites American, Ukrainian and European officials.

A Ukrainian representative told him the package consists of three core documents: a peace accord, a set of security guarantees, and an economic recovery plan.

One element of the draft agreement outlines a path for Ukraine to join the European Union as early as 2027 — a target presented as a driver for trade and investment and a lever to curb corruption.

The United States, for its part, pledges security guarantees modeled on NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense. Kyiv, however, wants these commitments ratified by the U. S. Congress. European states are expected to sign additional, separate agreements.

Ukraine’s sovereignty, the draft stresses, must remain beyond the reach of any Russian veto. The text caps the size of Ukraine’s armed forces at 800,000 personnel and rules out the introduction of constitutional constraints.

The proposed deal also introduces a demilitarized zone stretching along the front line from Donbass to Zaporizhye and Kherson. Behind it would lie a deeper buffer area where heavy weapons are barred.

Another clause addresses a potential «exchange of territories», though Kyiv and Washington are still at odds over where the lines would fall. One option under discussion is a «Korean scenario», an idea Ukrainian officials had previously not ruled out.

One striking detail is the provision placing the Zaporizhye nuclear power plant under U.S. management — a point, Ignatius notes, that some Ukrainian politicians support.

The plan further envisions U.S. investment in Ukraine’s development drawn from frozen Russian assets. Washington intends to allocate $100 billion, with the possibility of increasing the amount.

Earlier, U. S. President Donald Trump said Vladimir Zelensky should «pull himself together» and endorse the American peace plan. Reports indicate that the White House has set a deadline running until Catholic Christmas on December 25.