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Monday, November 24, 2025

What is the US-backed, 28-point peace plan for Ukraine?

 

EXPLAINER
EUROPE

A draft 28-point plan backed by US President Donald Trump would require Ukraine to cede Crimea and areas of the Donbas to Russia and permanently give up its NATO ambitions in exchange for US security guarantees. Russia would codify in law a promise not to invade Ukraine or the rest of Europe in exchange for holding onto parts of east Ukraine and a reintegration into the global economy.

A draft of the 28-point plan reviewed by AFP:

1. Ukraine's sovereignty will be confirmed. 

2. A comprehensive non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine and Europe. All ambiguities of the last 30 years will be considered settled.

3. It is expected that Russia will not invade neighbouring countries and NATO will not expand further.   

4. A dialogue will be held between Russia and NATO, mediated by the United States, to resolve all security issues and create conditions for de-escalation.

5. Ukraine will receive reliable security guarantees.

6. The size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be limited to 600,000 personnel.

7. Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to include in its statutes a provision that Ukraine will not be admitted in the future.   

8. NATO agrees not to station troops in Ukraine.

9. European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland.

10. The US will receive compensation for the security guarantees it provides. If Ukraine invades Russia, it will lose the guarantee. If Russia invades Ukraine, in addition to a decisive coordinated military response, all global sanctions will be reinstated and recognition of its new territories and all other benefits of this deal will be revoked. If Ukraine launches a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg without cause, the security guarantee will also be deemed invalid. 

11. Ukraine is eligible for EU membership and will receive short-term preferential access to the European market while this issue is being considered.

12. A powerful global package of measures to rebuild Ukraine will be established, including the creation of a Ukraine Development Fund, the rebuilding of Ukraine's gas infrastructure, the rehabilitation of war-affected areas, the development of new infrastructure and a resumption of the extraction of minerals and natural resources, all with a special finance package developed by the World Bank.

13. Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy, with discussions on lifting sanctions, rejoining the G8 group and entering a long-term economic cooperation agreement with the United States.

14. Some $100 billion in frozen Russian assets will be invested in US-led efforts to rebuild and invest in Ukraine, with the US receiving 50 percent of the profits from the venture. Europe will add $100 billion to increase the amount of investment available for Ukraine's reconstruction. Frozen European funds will be unfrozen, and the remainder of the frozen Russian funds will be invested in a separate US-Russian investment vehicle.

15. A joint American-Russian working group on security issues will be established to promote and ensure compliance with all provisions of this agreement.

16. Russia will enshrine in law its policy of non-aggression towards Europe and Ukraine.

17. The United States and Russia will agree to extend the validity of treaties on the non-proliferation and control of nuclear weapons, including the START I Treaty.

18. Ukraine agrees to be a non-nuclear state in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

19. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be launched under the supervision of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the electricity produced will be distributed equally between Russia and Ukraine. 

20. Both countries undertake to implement educational programmes in schools and society aimed at promoting understanding and tolerance.

21. Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk will be recognised as de facto Russian, including by the United States. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia will be frozen along the line of contact, which will mean de-facto recognition along the line of contact. Russia will relinquish other agreed territories it controls outside the five regions. Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part of Donetsk Oblast that they currently control, which will then be used to create a buffer zone.

22. After agreeing on future territorial arrangements, both the Russian Federation and Ukraine undertake not to change these arrangements by force. Any security guarantees will not apply in the event of a breach of this commitment. 

23. Russia will not prevent Ukraine from using the Dnieper River for commercial activities, and agreements will be reached on the free transport of grain across the Black Sea

24. A humanitarian committee will be established to resolve prisoner exchanges and the return of remains, hostages and civilian detainees, and a family reunification programme will be implemented.

25. Ukraine will hold elections in 100 days. 

26. All parties involved in this conflict will receive full amnesty for their actions during the war and agree not to make any claims or consider any complaints in the future.

27. This agreement will be legally binding. Its implementation will be monitored and guaranteed by the Peace Council, headed by US President Donald Trump. Sanctions will be imposed for violations.

28. Once all parties agree to this memorandum, the ceasefire will take effect immediately after both sides retreat to the agreed points to begin implementation of the agreement.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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No place for Truth in business or politics > FB hides negative mental health research; WSJ hides huge embezzlement in Zelensky's office

 

Meta covered up Facebook mental health research – court filings


The company hid findings that use of its social media platform was linked to depression and anxiety, documents allegedly show
Meta covered up Facebook mental health research – court filings











Facebook’s parent company Meta hid the results of in-house research into the negative health impacts of using the social media site, according to recently unredacted court filings.

The company’s internal communications were released on Friday as part of a long-running, high-profile lawsuit brought by US school districts against several social media firms. It alleges that their platforms have caused mental harm and addiction among children and teenagers.

In a 2020 research study, Meta asked people to stop using Facebook for a period of time, comparing them to a control group that continued normal use, according to the documents.

“To Meta’s disappointment, pilot tests of the deactivation study confirmed that ‘people who stopped using Facebook for a week reported lower feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and social comparison’,” the filings allege.

“Rather than investigate further, or sound the alarm, Meta halted the project – claiming that participants’ feedback was biased by ‘the result of the existing media narrative around the company’.”

Despite their own findings about the causal link between Facebook use and adverse mental health effects, “Meta lied to Congress about what it knew,” the filings allege.

The social media giant has faced increased scrutiny in the US in recent months.

In October, Meta said it would add new safeguards to its “teen accounts,” allowing parents to turn off their children’s communications with the company’s AI chatbots, following earlier revelations that they could engage minors in romantic or sensual conversation.

The company has also faced pressure from the US Federal Trade Commission, which has accused it of holding a monopoly in social networking.

However, last week a Washington district court ruled in Meta’s favor in the antitrust lawsuit, stating that the US competition watchdog had not proven that the company currently holds a monopoly, “whether or not Meta enjoyed monopoly power in the past.”

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WSJ buried expose about Zelensky’s ‘corrupt’ right-hand man – Tucker Carlson


The Murdoch-owned newspaper has information implicating Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, the journalist claims
WSJ buried expose about Zelensky’s ‘corrupt’ right-hand man – Tucker Carlson











The Wall Street Journal is refusing to publish information allegedly proving that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s top aide embezzled US funds, journalist Tucker Carlson has claimed.

In a post on X on Monday, Carlson said the WSJ has for months held a story detailing the “personal corruption” of Andrey Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff.

“Yermak has skimmed hundreds of millions in American tax dollars meant for Ukraine aid. The Journal’s editors can prove that. But they’re not. Instead they’re protecting Yermak, Carlson wrote.

The journalist further argued that the information was being suppressed because Yermak, as Kiev’s top negotiator, was “leading efforts to scuttle” the US-drafted plan to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. The Murdoch family, which owns the WSJ, wants “to continue the war with Russia,” he claimed.

As do all the major arms manufacturers in the Western world!

Earlier this month, Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies NABU and SAPO said they had uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme in the country’s energy sector allegedly led by Timur Mindich, Zelensky’s close associate and former long-time business partner. Zelensky has since imposed sanctions on Mindich, who fled the country to evade arrest.

Although Yermak has not been formally charged, Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezhnyak alleged that Yermak was “well aware” of the embezzlement and appeared in the audio recordings released by investigators.

The newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported on Monday that Yermak had instructed prosecutors to “draw up” charges against NABU chief Aleksandr Klimenko. Zelensky attempted to curb the powers of NABU and SAPO in July but was forced to retreat after protests in Kiev and pressure from the West.

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Military Madness > Arms industry investors in panic over Ukraine peace talks


Shares of weapons giant Rheinmetall have slumped after Washington proposed terms to Kiev to end hostilities
God forbid peace should break out.
War economies will go belly-up.
Arms industry investors in panic over Ukraine peace talks











The prospect of a possible peace in Ukraine has caused “panic” among investors in the German defense industry, sending stocks of arms manufacturers such as Rheinmetall tumbling.

The US reportedly handed Kiev a 28-point peace proposal last week and gave it until Thursday to respond. The framework was discussed in Geneva on Sunday, with US President Donald Trump saying afterwards that “something good” may be happening.

The peace push immediately unnerved investors, triggering a fierce sell-off of shares in Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest arms manufacturer and a key supplier of military equipment to Kiev. Rheinmetall stock has fallen by over 14% over the past five days, with defense-electronics producer Hensoldt recording a similar drop.

“Investors fear that an end to hostilities could also mean the end of the “super-cycle” for defense stocks,” Boerse-Express wrote.

Germany has become Kiev’s second-largest arms provider after the US, and Rheinmetall, which produces tanks, artillery systems, and ammunition, recently reported surging profits for the first nine months of 2025, alongside a record order backlog driven by the conflict and rising EU military budgets. Company shares have climbed nearly 2,000% since fighting escalated almost four years ago.

During the previous US attempt to broker peace in February, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger argued that even if the fighting were to end, it would be “wrong” for Europe to assume “a peaceful future.” In 2024, the company announced plans to build four manufacturing plants in Ukraine.

The broader European defense sector has been expanding at roughly three times its pre-2022 pace, Financial Times reported in August. Western leaders claim the accelerated buildup is needed to meet NATO readiness targets, maintain arms deliveries to Kiev, and deter what they describe as a potential Russian threat.

Moscow has called such claims “absurd” fearmongering aimed at justifying increased military spending and condemned what it calls the West’s “reckless militarization.”

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European Politics > Bosnian Serbs reject western interference in snap election

 

Banned Bosnian Serb leader Dodik’s party wins snap presidential elections


EUROPE

Bosnian Serb politician Sinisa Karan, the candidate backed by dismissed president Milorad Dodik, won Sunday’s snap election with 50.89% of the vote, preliminary results showed. His main rival, Branko Blanusa, secured 47.81%, the central electoral commission said, based on nearly 93% of polling stations counted.

Milorad Dodik, former president of the Bosnian Serb Republic, and Sinisa Karan attend a press conference, Bosnia and Herzegovina, November 23, 2025.
Milorad Dodik, former president of the Bosnian Serb Republic, and Sinisa Karan attend a press conference after preliminary results indicated Karan won a snap presidential election in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, November 23, 2025. © Amel Emric, Reuters

Bosnian Serb voters on Sunday elected an ally of their dismissed leader Milorad Dodik to replace him, preliminary results indicated, in a snap vote intended to settle months of political turbulence.

Dodik was ejected from office in August following his conviction for ignoring rulings by Christian Schmidt, the international appointee who oversees a peace deal which has held Bosnia together since the end of its 1990s inter-ethnic war.

The conflict left the country split into two semi-autonomous halves – the Serb-run Republika Srpska (RS) and a Bosniak-Croat federation – linked by weak central institutions.

Sunday's vote was seen as a crucial test of support for Dodik's nationalist SNSD party, which has been in power for nearly two decades in the Bosnian Serb statelet.

The electoral commission published results showing that with votes counted from nearly 93 percent of polling stations, Sinisa Karan led with 50.9 percent of the vote, ahead of his challenger Branko Blanusa on 47.8 percent. 

"Today's election was won by our candidate Sinisa Karan. That is unquestionable," Dodik told supporters at his nationalist party's headquarters in Banja Luka.

Karan, a 63-year-old former interior minister, is a close ally and personal choice of Dodik, who remains head of his party, the Union of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD).

The winner will serve for less than a year before a general election in October 2026.


'Two Dodiks' 

"I see this personally as support for me as well, in almost impossible circumstances," Dodik said late Sunday.

"They wanted to remove Dodik through an entirely unfair political process... and now they ended up with two Dodiks. They will be seeing that every day."

The turnout was less than 36 percent, the central electoral commission said – significantly lower than the 53 percent in the 2022 vote.

Around 1.2 million eligible voters could choose between six candidates, but Karan and Blanusa of the main opposition party were the two favourites.

The Serb Democratic Party (SDS) selected the relatively unknown Blanusa, a 56-year-old electrical engineering professor, who has repeatedly levelled corruption allegations against Dodik and his party.

Corruption allegations 

The poll followed clashes between Dodik and the top international envoy Schmidt, which analysts said pushed the country to the brink of its worst political crisis since the 1992-1995 war ended.

Earlier this year, Dodik was convicted and banned from public office for six years for flouting Schmidt's decisions.

After months of defying the ruling, the 66-year-old leader, who has close ties to the Kremlin, suddenly accepted his removal in October.

Within days, the United States dropped sanctions against Dodik and several of his associates, which had been in place since 2017. Karan, under sanctions since January, was among them.

"The Serb people have now given a decisive answer: 'No' to any foreigner, 'No' to anyone who seeks to usurp the will of the Serb people," Karan told his supporters in Banja Luka late Sunday.

Pensioner Milan Golja said he voted for Karan because he wanted Dodik's policies to continue.

"This is a big Western-made farce... Dodik has the support of the people," he told AFP in the city of Laktasi.

During the campaign, Blanusa said Dodik's policies threatened the future of the Bosnian Serb entity and accused him of corruption.

For historian and diplomat Slobodan Soja, there was no clear "ideological" difference between the two leading contenders, whom he labelled "unpopular, selfish and irresponsible".

Meanwhile, Dodik's "power remains intact and will only grow over time, as he is simply all-powerful as long as he leads the party", Soja said.

Voter Dragoslav Milanovic, 66, voiced hope that the vote will calm the crisis.

"The chaos here is not helping anyone," he told AFP.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)