US Presses Ukraine to Cede Land as Russian Strikes Kill 26

The proposal appears to echo Russia’s maximalist conditions for ending the war; The demands are consistently rejected by Ukraine as tantamount to surrender.

The surprise attempt came as Russian missiles hit the city of Ternopil, far from the front line, in one of the deadliest attacks on western Ukraine since the occupation began in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s efforts to re-involve US President Donald Trump’s administration in the peace process during his visit to Türkiye failed when an American envoy who was expected to join him did not make the trip.

Speaking to AFP, a source familiar with the proposal who requested anonymity said the US draft peace proposal envisages “recognizing Crimea and other regions captured by Russians” and “reducing the army to 400,000 personnel”.

At the same time, it will be seen that Ukraine gives up all long-range weapons.

“An important nuance is that we don’t understand whether this is truly Trump’s story” or the story of “his circle,” the official added.

According to the source, it was “unclear” what Russia should do in return.

US broadcaster CBS News, citing the US military, also said US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll had arrived in Kiev to lead a high-level Pentagon delegation to meet with Ukrainian officials and find ways to resolve the dispute. Driscoll met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmygal on Wednesday.

Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, said he had a “productive” meeting with the US delegation.

“I emphasized once again that strengthening the protection of Ukrainian airspace, expanding our long-range strike capabilities against enemy military targets, and preserving and stabilizing the front line will undermine the enemy’s offensive potential,” he said in social media posts.

American media outlet Axios had previously reported that Moscow and Washington were working on a secret plan to end the almost four-year war.

The Kremlin declined to comment on the report and later said there was nothing new in the progress of the peace agreement. AFP has contacted the White House for comment.

Russia currently occupies about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, much of which has been devastated by conflict.

– ‘Very late’ –

In Ternopil, AFP saw dozens of rescuers searching through rubble using cranes to reach the collapsed building after cruise missiles hit apartment blocks. Thick gray smoke engulfed the streets immediately after the explosions were heard at 7:00 am (05:00 GMT).

City officials reported that the fires had caused air chlorine levels to rise to six times normal and called on Ternopil’s 200,000 residents to stay home and close their windows.

Wrapped in a pink blanket, 46-year-old Oksana was waiting for news from her 20-year-old son Bohdan.

“I went to work, and my son stayed at home. I called him from the minibus and said, ‘Bohdan, get dressed and go out,'” he said. “He said: ‘Mom, don’t worry, everything will be okay.’ But it was too late,” he told AFP.

His sister, Natalia Bachinska, said the family lived on the ninth floor.

“Their apartment is completely gone… It still hasn’t been found.”

In the statement made by the state emergency service, it was stated that 26 people, including 3 children, died and 92 people, including 18 children, were injured.

“These were just people sleeping peacefully in their homes,” Zelensky said.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said he was “appalled” by the number of civilian casualties in the attack.

“The horror of the combination of powerful long-range missiles with unmanned aerial vehicles increasingly used by Russian forces was painfully revealed once again in Ukraine this morning,” Turk said in a statement. he said.

“This is what Russia’s ‘peace plans’ actually look like,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.

– Winter is approaching –

The attack on Ternopil comes as Russia is straining Ukraine’s energy grid ahead of winter and Kiev’s stretched troops are under pressure on the front line.

Kiev had claimed Zelensky’s unexpected visit to Türkiye as part of efforts to re-engage the United States in ending the war.

But Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, did not make the trip after Ukraine said he was expected to attend the talks.

And there were no Russian officials there.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the warring sides to join talks in Istanbul, where three rounds of talks this year have resulted only in prisoner swaps and repatriation of bodies of killed soldiers.

Zelensky said he wanted to continue the prisoner of war exchange with Russia by the end of the year.

However, Ukraine’s real hope is that Washington can push Russia to the negotiating table, including through sanctions.

Russian troops are advancing slowly but steadily on the battlefield, and Moscow insists it will continue fighting unless Ukraine gives in to its demands.