The US proposal for a peace deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine envisages keeping the occupied territories under Russian control and easing sanctions against Moscow, Bloomberg reported, citing European officials who requested anonymity.

The information was released a day after cease-fire talks between European, Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Paris at which the contours of the U.S. plan were discussed.

During the meetings, U.S. officials told their European counterparts that they aimed to secure a full ceasefire in Ukraine within a few weeks.

Washington's proposals include an effective freeze on Russia's war, and Kiev's bid to join NATO would be off the agenda.

It is unclear whether the US is proposing recognition of Russia's de facto control of the occupied territories or their legal recognition as Russian.

An EU official said the US plans, which require further discussion with Kiev, do not represent a final decision and that European allies would not recognise the occupied territories as Russian.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who also attended the Paris talks, suggested that a potential peace deal could focus on the status of five territories. He was likely referring to Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, along with the partially occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions, which were annexed in 2022.

Witkoff also told President Donald Trump that giving Moscow "ownership" of four occupied Ukrainian regions would be the quickest way to reach a ceasefire, Reuters reported on April 11, citing two unnamed U.S. officials and five other undisclosed sources.

On April 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Witkoff of spreading Russian propaganda and overstepping his authority by discussing Ukrainian territory in the course of negotiations with Moscow.

Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not recognize the occupied regions as Russian as part of any peace agreement.

EU officials have also told Bloomberg that unless Russia agrees to end the fighting, negotiations will be pointless. They stressed that providing Ukraine with security guarantees to secure a possible deal was essential.

USA and Ukraine agreed to a full ceasefire on 11 March, but Russia rejected it.

Instead, on 25 March, Ukraine, Russia and the US agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure and fighting in the Black Sea.

However, the Kremlin also blocked the partial ceasefire, saying the Black Sea truce would only take effect after certain sanctions against Russia were lifted. Russia and Ukraine have also accused each other of violating the ban on strikes on energy infrastructure.

Nonetheless, on April 18, Vice President J.D. Vance said the United States was optimistic that it could end the war between Russia and Ukraine, saying it had "some interesting things to report."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the US will abandon efforts to reach an agreement if a breakthrough is not reached soon. Speaking after the Paris meetings, he said Trump remains interested in a solution but has "other priorities" if the Kremlin is unwilling to commit to a peace deal. | BGNES