Will Ukraine and Europe accept a US-Russian peace plan?
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 21 November 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The US has presented Kyiv with a draft peace plan that appears to favour many of Russia's demands over those of the Ukrainians.
The widely-leaked US plan includes proposals that the Ukrainian government had previously ruled out, such as ceding areas of the eastern Donetsk region that it still controls. Will Ukraine and Europe accept it?
Also in the programme: Why some South African women are training to use guns; the latest controversy around this year's Miss Universe; and we'll talk about Frida Kahlo's art and the pop-culture phenomenon the Mexican artist has become.
(Photo shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a joint press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on 19 November 2025. Credit: Umit Bektas/Reuters)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:09.4 | Hello, welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service. I'm Paul Henley, the programme's coming to you live from London. |
| 0:16.2 | Now, the word from the White House is that behind the scenes work on a new 28-point peace plan for Ukraine |
| 0:22.0 | has been going on for about a month. The problem for Ukraine and for Europe is that they |
| 0:27.0 | weren't involved in that effort in any way. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen |
| 0:32.9 | said the situation was not acceptable. Yesterday, a 28-point plan was made public. We will discuss the |
| 0:40.7 | situation both with European leaders and with leaders here in the sidelines of the G20. |
| 0:48.0 | I will also reach out to President Zelensky to discuss the matter. Important is a key |
| 0:53.4 | principle. We have always up upheld and that is nothing about |
| 0:57.5 | Ukraine without Ukraine. Volodymya Zelensky gave a guarded response to the plan, |
| 1:02.4 | insisting Ukraine needed a true dignified peace. |
| 1:08.0 | Since the very first days of war, we've taken one very simple position. |
| 1:13.2 | Ukraine needs peace, a real peace that will not be broken by a third invasion. |
| 1:18.5 | A dignified peace, with respect for our independence, our sovereignty and the dignity of the Ukrainian people. |
| 1:25.6 | Well, could this plan, under any circumstances, grant those things? |
| 1:29.0 | I'm joined live by the BBC's Joe Inwood, who's reported extensively from Ukraine. |
| 1:33.5 | Joe, welcome, what's in the plan? |
| 1:35.2 | So the headline thing I think everyone's looking at is this suggestion that Ukraine is going |
| 1:39.6 | to have to give up the remainder of the Dombas. |
| 1:41.6 | These are the area in the east of Ukraine where the fighting's been fiercest, and there's parts of that territory, specifically in Donyetsk, |
| 1:48.6 | which Ukraine has never lost. And the suggestion is that Ukraine would have to give that up. |
| 1:54.3 | Russia would get the entirety of the Dombas, and it will be de facto recognized as Russian territory. |
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