According to Wikipedia, 28 is “approximately the number of grams in an ounce, and used as such in commercial trade.” This may explain why there were 28 points in the US plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine: it was drafted by people interested in commerce and trade, and the US stands to gain some US$300 billion from this deal. That said, the US financial gain is possibly the only original element in the plan, the rest being a list of Russian demands, some dating back to 2014, others to 2022, all denying Ukraine sovereignty by taking land from it, defining the size of its military, its constitution and elections, and forcing cultural and religious issues upon it.
That this draft was cooked up by US forces friendly to Russia is common knowledge, but that does not make the event, let alone the plan, less of an abomination: Ukraine was treated as no more than a malleable item, while the EU was not consulted — despite being listed as liable to underwrite much of the plan. At base, this is a plan to reward aggression and the taking of land by force while imposing penalties upon those who object.
To understand what exactly is wrong with the proposals, and where Ukraine goes from here, Ilana Bet-El is joined by two true women leaders: Dr Hanna Shelest, Director of Security Programmes at the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism“, and Iryna Krasnoshtan, Programme Director at the International Center for Ukrainian Victory. With the facts at their fingertips and the passion of fighters, this conversation explains what is at stake for the world as well as Ukraine!
This episode was recorded on 27 November 2025
Chapters
- Dissecting the 28 point “peace proposal”
- The international dynamics of the war in Ukraine
- The US interests behind this peace proposal
- Why are Ukrainians and Europeans left out of the conversation?
- What would a Ukrainian peace plan look like?
Mentions
- Ukraine Analytica
- Ukraine Institute
- 28-point plan
- Washington is roiled by the leaked transcript of Witkoff-Ushakov call
- Agathe Demarais The U.S.-Russia Plan Gives Trump a $300 Billion Signing Bonus
- Make Russia Pay campaign
- De Wever Overstates Belgium’s Risks: Why the Reparations Loan Is Crucial
Follow
- Iryna Krasnoshtan LinkedIn
- Hanna Shelest LinkedIn
- Ilana Bet-El
- Instagram @women_leaders_podcast
- Watch this episode on our YouTube channel
- Our partner European Leadership Network Twitter LinkedIn Facebook website
Credits
- Production: Florence Ferrando
- Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll License code: ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT
Image credit: Florence Ferrando
The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.
