American volunteers supporting Ukraine's military efforts have expressed outrage and dismay over a leaked peace proposal from Donald Trump's administration, describing it as a direct betrayal that mirrors Vladimir Putin's maximalist demands.
Frontline Reactions to Leaked Proposal
The controversy erupted when a 28-point peace plan, reportedly drafted by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff during negotiations with Kremlin adviser Kirill Dmitriev, was leaked to press outlets last week. The document appears to repackage Russia's longstanding demands on Ukraine, causing alarm among Americans who have dedicated themselves to Ukraine's defence.
"Complete bullshit and a betrayal by Trump," said an American special forces veteran who has trained and advised Ukrainian military forces since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. "But are you even surprised?"
The leaked plan emerged against a backdrop of renewed violence, with Russian strikes damaging a Novus logistics centre in Kyiv on 25 November 2025, creating massive craters that police officers surveyed in the aftermath.
Republican Backlash and Diplomatic Confusion
Criticism of the proposed peace terms extends beyond volunteer circles, with prominent Republican figures joining the chorus of disapproval. Congressman Don Bacon characterised Trump's approach as "gross buffoonery" and accused the administration of "pushing a surrender plan on Ukraine" that "looks like Russia wrote it."
The same special forces veteran, who requested anonymity, described Witkoff as a "Russian sycophant" and noted the plan "follows Russia's talking points almost to the letter."
Confusion surrounds the document's origins, with Republican Senator Mike Rounds claiming at the Halifax International Security Forum that Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified it as a preliminary Kremlin offer - a statement Rubio quickly and publicly denied.
Volunteers Fear Forced Ukrainian Concessions
American volunteers expressed concern that Ukraine might be pressured into accepting unfavourable terms. "I'm worried they really are getting forced into this one," the special forces veteran said. "But too much blood has been spilled. I don't think Zelenskyy can take anything close to that deal if it means giving up territory and giving up its own sovereignty."
The proposed concessions would require Ukraine to completely cede the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, constitutionally affirm it will never join NATO, and severely reduce its military size and arsenal.
Another American working in Ukraine's defence sector described the situation as another chapter in the tumultuous relationship between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing sympathy for US embassy diplomats in Kyiv whom he described as motivated but "totally handcuffed."
Steve Andre, a Michigan native who served as a press officer in the Ukrainian military and is now re-enlisting in Kyiv, sees the proposal as evidence of America's decaying global leadership. "The administration doesn't want to take the time and figure out what is actually happening here in the country," he said.
A NATO veteran training Ukrainian soldiers alongside former US servicemen called the plan "pathetic" and suggested financial motivations drive US policy. "Trump's [administration] is full of idiot boomers who've never dealt with actual stakes in their entire lives," he stated, describing fellow trainers as "pretty angry" but long "resigned to losing US support."
