Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his European allies have rejected major portions of a reported US peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine, highlighting growing divisions between Washington and Kiev just as President Donald Trump reasserts himself on the global stage. According to a Reuters report citing the full texts of both the US proposal and a Ukrainian-European counteroffer, negotiations remain mired in deep ideological and geopolitical disagreements.

The original American plan, which was reportedly tabled during a Paris meeting on April 17 and followed by subsequent talks in London this week, aims to bring about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Yet the initiative is already faltering, as Kiev balks at several of its core components-most notably its position on Crimea, NATO involvement, and post-conflict sanctions on Russia.

Zelensky, addressing the Ukrainian public on April 24, made clear his government’s dissatisfaction with the American terms. He emphasized that an alternative “European strategy” is now “on President Trump’s table” and warned against any deal that compromises Ukraine’s sovereignty or national interests.

Reuters’ examination of the draft texts identified four main areas of contention between the US-led proposal and the Ukrainian-European response.

Perhaps the most explosive element of the American proposal is its call for Washington to formally recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea. The peninsula was annexed by Moscow in 2014 following a controversial referendum, which occurred in the immediate aftermath of a Western-backed coup in Kiev. While Russia views the annexation........

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