US to Demand Russia Recognize Ukraine’s Right to Military Defense, Says Bloomberg

The United States will demand that Russia acknowledge Ukraine’s right to maintain its own military and defense industry as part of a potential peace agreement. The issue is expected to be raised by US envoy Steve Witkoff in discussions with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

According to Bloomberg on April 24, this demand would require Russia to abandon its goal of Ukraine’s demilitarization, one of the central objectives Moscow has stated since the beginning of the war.

“We are thinking that, very strongly, that they both want peace, but they have to get to the table,” said US President Donald Trump, about Russia and Ukraine. When asked if he had set his own deadline, the president responded, “We want it to be fast,” adding, “I think it has a very good chance of getting done.”

The US has also called for the return of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Russia seized in 2022 during its invasion.

The facility would be placed under US control to manage energy distribution to both parties, according to sources. They noted that the specifics of the plan are still being finalized and may change.

In addition to allowing Ukraine to retain its military, the US seeks to guarantee Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the return of land in the Kharkiv region currently occupied by Russia. Despite not fully occupying them, Putin has insisted on the recognition of the Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson regions in their entirety.

The Trump administration’s proposals, however, have been criticized by some observers as favoring Russia, particularly due to the insistence that Ukraine forgo its NATO ambitions, according to Bloomberg.

In related news, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, the combined Russian assault on Kyiv has resulted in 12 deaths and 90 injuries so far.

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