New Intel Shows Russian Officials Believe the US Has Already Agreed to Kremlin’s ‘Peace Plan’ to End War in Ukraine

The US is rapidly moving toward accepting key Russian demands to end the war in Ukraine, including by backing the Kremlin’s four-point “peace plan” – undercutting Kyiv’s position – and by pushing a global narrative that calls for the replacement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky among other pro-Russian actions, according to interviews with multiple senior Ukrainian officials and previously unreported documents reviewed by Kyiv Post.

The documents suggest that Washington has grown more receptive to the Kremlin’s narrative on the origins of the war—one that Moscow is now aggressively promoting to Western audiences, say sources. This narrative claims that NATO expansion and alleged discrimination against Russian speakers in Ukraine were key triggers for the conflict, despite these claims having been repeatedly debunked since Russia first used them to justify its 2014 invasion of Crimea.

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According to multiple sources, Moscow is increasingly confident that the US is prepared to fulfill most of its demands, including making Zelensky’s removal a prerequisite for any negotiated settlement.

Sources attribute this apparent shift in US positioning to direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, ongoing peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia, and warming US-Russia relations.

A spokesman from the US State Department refused to confirm or deny the new report to Kyiv Post.

Russia’s four-point “peace plan”

The warming bilateral relations between Washington and Moscow have emboldened the Kremlin to put forth a set of non-negotiable demands that it expects to serve as the foundation for any peace settlement – terms that, according to sources, have been met with interest in Washington.

Multiple sources within the Ukrainian diplomatic and intelligence communities with direct knowledge of Russia’s demands confirmed that American officials have said they are open to conceding at least four major points of Moscow’s plan:

1. Terminating Western Military Support – Moscow insists that all arms shipments, intelligence-sharing, and training for Ukraine’s forces end. It remains unclear whether this demand applies only to US assistance or extends to European aid as well.
2. Recognizing Russian-Controlled Territories – Russia is looking for international recognition of Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, “Donetsk People’s Republic,” and “Luhansk People’s Republic” as Russian territory. In 2022, just before launching the full-scale invasion, Russia formally incorporated the regions into its Constitution.
3. Reinstating the Prominence of Russian Culture, Language, and Church – Moscow wants to restore the prominent status of Russian culture in Ukraine by recentering the Russian language, Russian media, and the Russian Orthodox Church in everyday life – steps that would effectively roll back the country’s post-2014 policies that were aimed at reducing Russian influence. 
4. Returning to Istanbul Agreement Terms – The Kremlin is pushing for “a return to the terms of the Istanbul agreement on all issues.” The Istanbul Agreement was a set of draft peace proposals negotiated between Ukraine and Russia in March 2022, which included discussions regarding Ukraine’s neutrality, security guarantees, and limitations on its military in exchange for Russian troop withdrawals. The return to Istanbul would be, in the eyes of many experts, unfavorable to Ukraine’s interests.

Stepping up efforts to oust Zelensky

The Kremlin has ramped up an aggressive disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Zelensky, sources say, by portraying him as an impediment to ending the war. 

“Russia is trying to exploit tensions between the teams of the US and Ukrainian presidents to push the ‘Istanbul theses’ as demands on Ukraine for a possible cessation of hostilities and future peace agreements,” a senior Ukrainian government official told Kyiv Post.

Increasingly, Russian media has been directed to push narratives questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy, one source said, in an effort to spread the idea that he is clinging to power while obstructing a negotiated settlement.

The ongoing campaign, which is primarily targeting US audiences, seeks to erode American political and public support for Ukraine and includes narratives that Trump appears to have parroted several times in Oval Office addresses during the past month. 

A Kyiv-based expert on Russian disinformation in Ukraine, who asked that his name not be used due to current political sensitivities, confirmed that there had been a surge in efforts to discredit the Ukrainian government and sway the United States toward Kremlin-backed narratives. 

Sources indicated that the Kremlin’s ultimate objective appeared to be to pressure Zelensky into lifting Ukraine’s ban on talks with Russia and announcing elections – steps that could pave the way for a more Moscow-friendly government in Kyiv.

Becoming a global influencer

Moscow is also engaging with Ukrainian political figures abroad at the same time, sourced with knowledge of the matter confirmed, laying the groundwork for pro-Russian candidates to emerge in future elections. 

“It’s all true,” a senior Ukrainian intel officer confirmed of the document and Russia’s plans. “This is really happening.” 

Another senior Ukrainian government official with knowledge of the situation indicated that a “significant amount of information” obtained by Ukrainian diplomats has indicated that Russia “is attempting to exploit differences between the Ukrainian and American sides to push its vision of future peace negotiations.

The specific objective of these narratives is to “destabilize the socio-political situation in Ukraine,” the source said.

Washington’s recent shift towards Moscow has stunned allies, sparking transatlantic tensions. A third Ukrainian official said that America’s partners, particularly the British, had conveyed their surprise and dismay to their Ukrainian counterparts over how swiftly US support for Kyiv had vanished.

“It is a very dirty game,” the source said, referring to the way the Trump administration was currently handling negotiations.

But the State Department told Kyiv Post that the ongoing peace talks were meant to force Ukraine and Russia to the “negotiating table” – not choose one side over the other.

“The only way this war ends is if both Russia and Ukraine come to a negotiating table, and both Russia and Ukraine will have to make tough decisions,” the spokesman said.

“Participation in negotiations will quickly make apparent if both parties are serious about peace. It is in neither side’s interests to delay serious participation.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Kyiv Post.