Ukrainian and European officials aren’t exactly on board with some of the latest U.S. ideas on how to end the war in Ukraine, and they have made their own counterproposals, touching on everything from territorial control to sanctions.

Full versions of the proposals offer a rare glimpse into the ongoing back-and-forth diplomacy behind closed doors. The documents come from two key rounds of talks, one in Paris on April 17 and another in London on April 23 , and they reveal just how complex and divided the negotiations have become as President Donald Trump pushes hard for a quick peace deal.

The main sticking points, as per documents – how and when to settle territorial issues, whether sanctions on Russia should be lifted, what kind of security guarantees Ukraine should get, and how big its military should be. Some of these disagreements had been hinted at before, but the documents spell them out in black and white.

According to sources, the first proposal, labeled as the “final offer” from the U.S., was put together by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and first shared with European officials in Paris before being passed along to Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the proposal a “broad framework” to get all sides aligned. But Vice President JD Vance took a firmer line, saying the U.S. had laid out a very clear deal and it was time for everyone to either get on board or risk the U.S. walking away from its peace efforts.

Meanwhile, the counterproposal, drawn up by Ukrainian and European officials in London,  was sent over to the American side this week. President Zelenskiy confirmed on Thursday that the document from the London talks was now in front of Trump.

And as of Friday, Witkoff was in Moscow, meeting with President Vladimir Putin, another sign of just how serious and fast-moving this peace push has become. It’s the most intense diplomatic effort to stop the war since the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. As things stand, Moscow controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

Where the Major Differences Lie

When it comes to territory, the proposals from Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff suggest that the U.S. would legally recognize Russia’s control over Crimea, the peninsula Moscow grabbed back in 2014 and de facto recognize Russian control over parts of southern and eastern Ukraine currently occupied by its forces.

On the other hand, the European and Ukrainian counterproposals take a very different approach: they suggest putting off any serious discussion about territorial issues until after a ceasefire is in place. And importantly, there’s no mention whatsoever of recognizing Russian control over any Ukrainian land.

The Crimea issue, not surprisingly, has turned into a major flashpoint. This week, Trump criticized President Zelenskiy after the Ukrainian leader doubled down on Kyiv’s stance that it would never recognize Crimea as Russian territory. Trump, in an interview with Time magazine, was blunt: “Crimea will stay with Russia,” he said, adding that he didn’t think Ukraine would ever be allowed into NATO.

Security Guarantees, Worlds Apart

The Witkoff proposal says Ukraine would get a “robust security guarantee,” backed by Europe and other friendly countries, but it’s pretty vague on the details. One thing it does say clearly – Ukraine would not join NATO.

Meanwhile, the European and Ukrainian side lays out much stronger terms. Their proposal allows Ukraine to have an unrestricted military, invites allied forces to set up shop on Ukrainian soil, and calls for serious security promises, something similar to NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense pact. Unsurprisingly, these ideas are likely to ruffle a few feathers in Moscow.

Economic Measures, Not Much Alignment Here Either

On sanctions, the U.S. proposal suggests lifting the measures placed on Russia since its 2014 Crimea annexation as part of the peace deal.

The counterproposal is a lot tougher. It says U.S. sanctions could only gradually be lifted after a stable peace is achieved and if Russia breaks the deal, the sanctions could snap right back. Plus, Ukraine would get financial compensation for war damages from Russia’s frozen overseas assets, while the U.S. proposal just vaguely mentions compensation without explaining where the money would come from.

The Pressure Cooker

Both Kyiv and Moscow are racing to show Trump that they’re making progress toward his goal of a quick peace deal, especially after the U.S. hinted it might walk away from the process if things drag on.

Zelenskiy admitted the talks in London were tough but called them “constructive.”

However, not everyone’s feeling optimistic. Three European diplomats stated that they initially thought the Paris talks were promising, a good first step toward hammering out differences ahead of the London round. But soon after, they sensed that U.S. negotiators were under heavy pressure to get a deal moving quickly. That raised alarm bells that Ukraine and Europe might end up backed into a corner, forced to accept terms they aren’t happy with.

In London, the main aim was to pull together the joint European and Ukrainian counterproposal for U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg to carry back to Washington, setting the stage for the next round of this diplomatic chess match.