by Eastern European Affairs correspondent of New Worker

The end of the war in Ukraine may now be in sight following the issue of a detailed American peace plan that meets most of Russia’s legitimate demands. Donald Trump has told the Ukrainians they’ve got to accept it by Thanksgiving Day, the 27th November, or face the consequences – which according to Reuters sources includes a threat to cut US intelligence and arms supplies to Ukraine.

The push by Washington to persuade Ukraine to agree to its road-map comes amid a corruption scandal which has rocked the Zelensky regime in Kiev.

Last week, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced an investigation into what it called a “high-level criminal organisation” allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business associate of Zelensky. NABU said the group siphoned off roughly $100 million in kickbacks from state nuclear operator Energoatom.

Ukrainian media earlier published what they said was an official NABU document naming several officials allegedly influenced by Mindich. The leaked text says Mindich urged former Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov – now secretary of the National Security and Defence Council – to bypass quality checks on body armour in which he had a financial stake, warning that “big money” was at risk. It also states that Mindich relied on his “friendly relations” with Zelensky and former energy and justice minister, German Galushchenko, to allegedly promote his interests before resigning after charges were filed.

Meanwhile, the second-rate imperialist powers in the EU together with the Starmer government and the less than covert war-lobby in the USA are trying to rally last-ditch support for the Zelensky regime and derail the Trump initiative. But the Ukrainian president says that Ukraine must now brace itself for a tough choice between accepting the “difficult points” in Washington’s plan or risk losing a key backer. In an address to the nation, Zelensky said: “Ukraine could now face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner. Either the difficult 28 points or an extremely difficult winter.”

The US peace plan has not been disclosed officially but, according to media reports, it among other things, recognizes Crimea and the liberated regions of Ukraine as parts of the Russian Federation, calls upon Ukraine to withdraw troops from the parts of the Donbas it still controls, recognise the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, restore Russian as an official language in Ukraine, down-size its military and give up on NATO aspirations in exchange for membership of the EU, post-war reconstruction aid and Western security guarantees.

The Russians have welcomed the American plan that clearly is the result of weeks of secret negotiations following last August’s super-power summit in Alaska. “I believe that his plan – Trump’s plan – may indeed be used as the foundation for a final peaceful settlement,” Vladimir Putin said. The Russian leader said the Kremlin had already received the text of the US proposal through existing communication channels with the White House. He noted that the proposal represents a new, modified version of the plan previously discussed by both sides during the Alaska summit.

“All of Russia’s friends and partners, including China, India, north Korea, South Africa, Brazil, and the countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), support the potential agreements between Russia and the United States on a Ukrainian settlement, which were discussed at the Anchorage summit,” Putin said. “We have thoroughly briefed all of our friends and partners in the Global South on all these issues, including China, India, north Korea, South Africa, Brazil, and many other countries, as well as the CSTO countries, of course. All of our friends and partners – I want to emphasise this, every single one of them – all supported these potential agreements,” he said.