WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war would recognize Crimea and other areas in eastern Ukraine as Russian, bar any future expansion of NATO and prohibit either country from using military force once the plan is agreed upon.
According to the proposal, a copy of which USA TODAY obtained, Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk would be "recognized 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," the proposal states." Russia will relinquish other agreed territories it controls outside the five regions."
The proposal also states: "It is expected that Russia will not invade neighboring countries and NATO will not expand further."
Axios was the first to report on the proposal, which U.S. officials stressed was a preliminary document.
