Full Analysis Summary
Contested U.S. peace proposal
Donald Trump's envoys have arrived in Kyiv to present a secretly drafted 28-point peace proposal.
Multiple outlets say the proposal would force sweeping concessions from Ukraine.
Reported concessions include ceding the Donbas to Moscow and sharply cutting the size of Ukraine's military.
Tabloid reporting frames the mission as an assertive U.S. push.
The Daily Mail reports that Trump's officials flew to Ukraine to push a secretly drafted 28-point proposal that sources say is 'heavily tilted' toward Vladimir Putin.
The US Sun describes a 'Witkoff-Dmitriev peace blueprint' presented during a purported fact-finding visit that would force heavy concessions from Ukraine.
Kyiv-based outlets and mainstream wires give similar accounts of the plan.
The Kyiv Independent says Washington circulated a U.S. framework for ending the war that would require Ukraine to cede territory, surrender certain weapons systems and reduce the size of its army.
The Kyiv Post, citing Reuters and the Financial Times, reports the plan would 'sharply cut' Ukraine's armed forces, with some reports saying by about half.
Coverage Differences
Tone and emphasis
Tabloid sources (Daily Mail, The US Sun) use urgent, partisan language framing the envoys’ visit as a secretive, pro‑Putin tilt and highlight dramatic concessions; Kyiv‑based outlets (Kyiv Independent, Kyiv Post) report similar measures but use a more factual, sourcing‑based tone and note Kyiv’s reaction. Mainstream UK outlets (Sky News) add reporting about back‑channel figures (Witkoff/Dmitriev) rather than framing the plan purely as a capitulation.
Proposed peace terms for Ukraine
Reports outline severe terms for a proposed framework that would halve Ukraine's armed forces, ban long-range weapons and foreign troops, leave occupied regions legally Ukrainian while stripping Kyiv of control, and include political concessions such as making Russian an official language and granting the Russian Orthodox Church formal status in occupied areas.
The Daily Mail described a package that would require Ukraine to cede the rest of the Donbas to Moscow, halve the size of its military, abandon key categories of armaments, and roll back vital U.S. military assistance.
A leaked 28-point summary reported by The US Sun similarly said the deal would halve Ukraine's military, ban long-range missiles and foreign troops, end U.S. military aid, make Russian an official language, and grant the Russian Orthodox Church formal status in occupied areas.
France 24 and AFP reported variants that would compel recognition of Russian control of Crimea, reduce Ukraine's armed forces to about 400,000, and force Ukraine to give up all long-range weapons.
Kyiv's officials said these proposals were close to capitulation.
Coverage Differences
Specific demands vs. reported variants
Tabloid and U.S. sources present a detailed 28‑point list of demands (Daily Mail, The US Sun) while France 24 and AFP highlight reported variants such as recognising Crimea and a specific force cap (about 400,000). Kyiv sources emphasize the plan’s similarity to longstanding Russian demands and call it near‑capitulation. Mainstream outlets often attribute these specifics to leaks or unnamed sources rather than presenting them as confirmed policy.
Reactions to proposed plan
Ukrainian and Western reactions are sharply critical or cautious.
Kyiv officials say they had 'no role' in drafting the proposals and rejected them, according to The US Sun.
The Kyiv Independent reports Ukrainian officials reacted 'coolly,' saying the package moves toward demands long associated with Moscow.
European diplomats and critics warn the plan could freeze the war on Moscow's terms and split Western unity.
U.S. officials have largely declined to comment, and LBC reports the initiative was crafted with 'little input from European allies or Kyiv.'
Months of pressure produced tense encounters between Trump and Zelensky, including an alleged row in Washington where Trump used Russian terminology calling the conflict a 'special operation' and 'not even a war.'
France 24 records Ukrainian leaders and the UN rights chief condemning recent deadly strikes as evidence of Russia's intentions amid negotiations.
Coverage Differences
Attribution and reaction framing
Some outlets (The US Sun, Kyiv Independent) foreground Kyiv’s rejection and scepticism; European mainstream outlets and diplomats are framed as alarmed about Western unity and freezing the war (The US Sun, France 24). LBC focuses on strained U.S.–Ukraine relations and internal U.S. diplomacy, highlighting a different angle — interpersonal tensions between leaders — rather than solely policy content.
Opaque peace-plan diplomacy
Reporting highlights unofficial diplomacy and opaque channels behind the plan.
Sky News reports a deleted X post by Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff exposed a back-channel and linked Witkoff to Kirill Dmitriev, describing the pair as quietly advancing a peace plan.
Sky also tied that scoop to earlier reporting that U.S. discussions contemplated Ukraine ceding territory it still controls.
LBC and the Daily Mail add that the proposal appears to have been negotiated by American and Russian officials without Ukraine at the table, fueling criticism that Kyiv has been sidelined.
These accounts portray a mix of formal U.S. delegations and informal intermediaries operating in parallel.
Coverage Differences
Focus on back‑channels vs. formal diplomacy
Sky News emphasizes the back‑channel (Witkoff and Dmitriev) and leaked private posts, while outlets like the Daily Mail and LBC stress that the proposal was negotiated “without Ukraine at the table” and highlight formal U.S. delegations visiting Kyiv. Kyiv Independent notes a U.S. military‑led delegation will visit Ukraine and then travel to Moscow, showing both official and unofficial tracks in coverage.
Controversy over peace plan
Analysts and diplomats warn the initiative risks freezing the war on terms favorable to Moscow, undermining Western unity and removing deterrents that have protected Ukraine.
This narrative is stressed by European diplomats, critics in The US Sun, and by Kyiv sources.
France 24 records Ukrainian officials describing the plan as echoing Russia's "maximalist demands."
France 24 also notes a deadly Russian strike on Ternopil that Ukrainian leaders and the UN rights chief used to underscore the stakes.
The paper records that sanctions and economic pressure are still seen by some as tools to push Moscow back to the table.
Outlets differ on whether this approach is a pragmatic push for compromise or a dangerous capitulation.
Tabloids portray it as tilted toward Putin, Kyiv outlets call it unacceptable, and some U.S. reporting frames it as a U.S.-driven effort to produce a "reasonable" offer regardless of European input.
Coverage Differences
Narrative and suggested remedies
France 24 highlights sanctions and economic pressure as a lever to bring Russia back to talks, presenting a policy alternative; tabloids (Daily Mail, The US Sun) accentuate the plan’s tilt toward Putin and potential capitulation; Kyiv outlets centre Ukraine’s rejection and humanitarian costs. LBC emphasizes intra‑Western friction and the U.S. decision to act with limited ally input, focusing on diplomatic process rather than remedies.