Trump Team Drafts Plan to End Ukraine War Based on Korean Model, Sources Say

The incoming Trump administration is preparing a detailed initiative to freeze and ultimately resolve the war in Ukraine by applying a version of the Korean peninsula model, according to senior officials cited by The Washington Post.

The proposal is laid out in three core documents:

• A primary peace agreement
• A package of long-term security guarantees for Ukraine
• A comprehensive economic reconstruction program

Central to the plan is the establishment of a permanent demarcation line roughly along the current front line, stretching from Donetsk to Kherson. A narrow demilitarized zone would be created immediately, followed by a broader buffer area where heavy weapons and large troop concentrations would be banned on both sides.

U.S. diplomats have already begun informal discussions with Kyiv and European allies about possible territorial adjustments and the final drawing of borders. Under the Korean-style approach, the legal status of the disputed regions could remain unresolved for decades while an armistice holds.

Key elements of the emerging American plan include:

• The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant would remain under Ukrainian operation, with a possible international or U.S.-led oversight arrangement; it would not be handed over to Russia.
• Accelerated Ukrainian accession to the European Union, potentially by 2027, with Washington prepared to press Hungary and other holdouts to lift objections. U.S. officials argue that rapid EU membership would attract investment, boost trade, and strengthen anti-corruption measures.
• Security guarantees for Ukraine that would mirror NATO’s Article 5 mutual-defense commitment, structured in a way that requires U.S. congressional ratification but does not grant Russia a veto.
• Permission for Ukraine to expand its armed forces beyond the current ceiling of around 600,000 troops, potentially to 800,000 or more; Kyiv has rejected any formal cap as part of a deal.

On the financial side, the Trump plan envisions:

• An immediate $100 billion reconstruction package funded primarily by seized Russian sovereign assets, with the possibility of unlocking hundreds of billions more.
• Ongoing talks with BlackRock, the World Bank, and other major institutions to establish a $400 billion Ukrainian Development Fund.
• Parallel discussions about a comparable investment fund for Russia if Moscow agrees to a durable peace.

While still in the drafting stage and subject to change, the initiative reflects the incoming administration’s intention to move quickly toward a negotiated freeze of the conflict followed by a long-term settlement that avoids full Ukrainian NATO membership but provides robust Western security backing and economic support.