Russia has floated a plan to the US to occupy parts of Ukraine in a way that would mimic the West Bank, the Times reported on Wednesday.
Under this proposal, Russia would take military and economic control of areas it has occupied in Ukraine under a separate governing body. Ukraine’s borders would not change, but Russia would cede control over undisclosed areas.
“It’ll just be like how Israel occupies the West Bank,” an unnamed source with ties to the US National Security Council (NSC) told the Times.
“With a governor, with an economic situation that goes into Russia, not Ukraine. But it’ll still be Ukraine, because… Ukraine will never give up its sovereignty. But the reality is it’ll be occupied territory and the model is Palestine.”
The plan was discussed during a meeting last week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who reportedly supported the plan.
West Bank-style plan for Ukraine remains unclear
Trump administration officials reportedly believed that the plan would create a loophole to cede Ukrainian territory without holding a country-wide referendum.
However, administration officials vehemently denied the report in a statement provided to the Times.
"This is total fake news and sloppy reporting by the Times, which clearly has terrible sources. Nothing of the sort was discussed with anyone at any point,” White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly wrote.
The Times did not note other details of the plan, such as whether there would be territory similar to Areas A, B, and C in the West Bank, which Israel took control of from Jordan in 1967 following the Six-Day War.
However, it is unclear if the reported plan would allow for Ukraine to one day regain the Russian-annexed land.
This comes amid reports that Witkoff’s meeting with Putin left Ukrainian and European leaders frustrated and confused about Russia's objectives in a potential deal.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia would withdraw from Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in exchange for the entire Donetsk region.
Witkoff later walked back Trump's assertions on later calls, claiming that instead, Russia would withdraw and freeze the front lines. He then claimed that Ukraine must withdraw unilaterally from Donetsk in exchange for a ceasefire, which Ukrainian and European leaders rejected.