Trump's Ukraine peace plan ignites diplomatic flurry but major hurdles lie ahead

LONDON (AP) — The Russia-Ukraine war has seen almost four years of failed peace plans, blueprints and high-level summits. A new U.S. push to end the fighting has set off the latest flurry of diplomacy, with American, European, Russian and Ukrainian officials all trying to shape the outcome of Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

Tilted heavily toward Russia's aims, the U.S.-backed proposal presented to Ukraine last week set off alarm bells in Kyiv and other European capitals. Ukraine and its allies offered a set of counterproposals that revamped the plan's points. Ukrainian and European leaders expressed optimism about the talks' momentum, but awaited responses from Washington and Moscow that are crucial.

“I think we're getting very close to a deal,” U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday. He said the proposals had been “fine-tuned” and announced he was sending his envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week.

Based on talks between Washington and Moscow, the 28-point plan presented to Ukraine calls on it to cede its entire eastern region of the Donbas to Russia, which invaded its smaller neighbor in February 2022. The plan would put a 600,000-person limit on Ukraine’s military and bar Ukraine or any other new member from NATO. It also would rule out NATO troops in Ukraine and does not commit the U.S. or European nations to Ukraine's defense if Russia attacks again.

Russia would commit to no more attacks on Ukraine, facing sanctions if it violates that pledge.

Ukraine and its European allies said the plan rewards Russian aggression and scrambled to offer counterproposals aimed at shifting the balance toward Ukraine, such as lifting the cap on Ukraine's military power, leaving open the question of future NATO membership and postponing discussions of territorial concessions until after a ceasefire.

U.S. and Ukrainian officials met Sunday in Geneva, with both sides calling the talks constructive and promising to produce a revised peace plan.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, but Putin's foreign policy advisor, Yuri Ushakov, said the new peace plan was not discussed in detail. He said that while Moscow had seen a copy of the proposals, it had yet to receive the document through official channels.

The fragility of the process was underscored by a leaked transcript of a call in which Witkoff appeared to coach Ushakov on how to win Trump's support for a peace plan. Moscow denied leaking the conversation, details of which were first published by Bloomberg News.

The White House did not dispute the veracity of the transcript, and Trump described Witkoff’s reported approach to the Russians in the call as “standard” negotiating procedure.

Ukrainian officials said they hoped Zelenskyy would travel to the U.S within days to meet Trump, while the U.S. president said he could eventually meet both Zelenskyy and Putin, but not until more progress has been made.

Amid worries in Europe that it is being sidelined in peace plans, allies of Ukraine who have pledged to underwrite and guarantee any ceasefire — the 35-nation Coalition of the Willing — held a video conference Tuesday attended by Zelenskyy and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

About 20 countries in the coalition have agreed to join a post-ceasefire “reassurance force” for Ukraine. The plan foresees European allies training Ukrainian troops and providing sea and air support, but relies on U.S. military muscle as a security guarantee.

Trump has not explicitly committed to providing that backup, but the leaders of Britain, France and Germany said after Tuesday's meeting that attendees had agreed with Rubio “to accelerate joint work with the United States to take forward the planning on security guarantees.”

The latest push for peace comes as Ukrainians are exhausted after almost four years of war, with the country's cities and energy infrastructure pummeled by Russian missiles and drones.

Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded, and along the front line Russia is making slow gains and at huge human cost.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said sanctions on Russian oil and gas were starting to bite, putting Moscow under pressure.

“They want us to believe they can continue forever. This is not true,” she said.

There are also domestic troubles for Zelenskyy, dealing with a corruption scandal in his administration — and for Trump, facing rifts within his MAGA movement.

Jim Townsend, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the Russians likely perceive Trump as impatient and unfocused, and will deploy delay tactics to avoid concessions.

“This could just be a real mess. The Russians don’t feel any pressure. They think they’re going to win if they hold out long enough. The pressure’s all on Zelenskyy,” he said.

McNeil reported from Brussels.

A residential building is seen heavily damaged after a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People watch as emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, attends a video conference of the 'Coalition of the Willing' on Ukraine at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Teresa Saurez, Pool Photo via AP)

Vira Katanenko, 66, cries while visiting a grave of her son Andrii Katanenko, a Ukrainian serviceman of 59th brigade at the cemetery in Bucha, Ukraine, on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Impact player substitute Sameer Rizvi struck a half-century as Delhi Capitals overcame a top-order order collapse and beat Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in its opening game of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

Rizvi anchored Delhi to 145-4 in 17.1 overs with an unbeaten 70 off 47 balls after coming in for Thangarasu Natarajan in the fourth over.

Lucknow had earlier collapsed to 141 all in 18.4 overs after Delhi skipper Axar Patel won the toss on a wicket where fast bowlers found plenty of swing with the new ball.

Delhi ran into early trouble in the chase when it collapsed to 26-4 in the fifth over before Rizvi and Tristan Stubbs (39 not out) of South Africa featured in a match-winning 119-run stand.

“Playing at home, you know the conditions and that helped as my state league takes place here,” Rizvi said. “Stubbs said ‘respect the conditions’ (and) once we were set, we knew we could play our natural game.”

Lokesh Rahul got dismissed on Mohammad Shami’s first ball when he holed out at deep point while going for an extravagant inside shot over the cover, and pace bowler Mohsin Khan found the outside edge of Nitish Rana’s bat.

Fast bowler Prince Yadav then picked up the wickets of Sri Lankan Pathum Nissanka, who skied a mistimed pull to diving wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, and clean bowled Patel of the next ball before Rizvi and Stubbs revived the chase.

Rizvi was the aggressor of the two, hitting four sixes and five boundaries while Stubbs’ 32-ball knock featured three fours and a six.

Earlier, Lucknow struggled from the onset against the pace of Mukesh Kumar (0-17) in the power play while Lungi Ngidi (3-27) and Natarajan (3-29) intelligently varied their pace.

Pant promoted himself as an opener but was run-out in the third over when Kumar couldn’t hold onto a sharp return catch of Mitchell Marsh, but the ball deflected onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Pant out of crease.

“Best way to recover from my dismissal is to ignore it as you can’t control it,” Pant said. "The way we batted, we couldn’t get a partnership for long ... there was enough help with the new ball, but you can’t put pressure on the opposition with 140."

Marsh made 35 off 28 before he holed out to mid-off against Kuldeep Yadav’s (2-31) googly in the 10th over. Ngidi, bowling round the wicket, baffled experienced Nicholas Pooran with a dipping slower ball as the West Indian left-hander tried to flick but missed the line completely and was clean bowled for run-a-ball 8.

Abdul Samad charged briefly and top-scored with 36 off 25 balls before falling to Natarajan in the 18th over as Ngidi polished off the tail quickly with two more slower balls to tailenders Anrich Nortje and Khan.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Delhi Capitals' Lungi Ngidi, right, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of Lucknow Super Giants' Nicholas Pooran during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals in Lucknow, India, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Delhi Capitals' Lungi Ngidi, right, listens to captain Axar Patel before bowling his next delivery during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals in Lucknow, India, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Delhi Capitals' Sameer Rizvi, right, and batting partner Tristan Stubbs encourage each other during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals in Lucknow, India, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Delhi Capitals' Sameer Rizvi bats during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals in Lucknow, India, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)