An unofficial peace plan for Ukraine reportedly drawn up by a Ukrainian MP and backed by associates of Donald Trump is “absurd” and would be unacceptable to Russia, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, denied prior knowledge of the sealed plan, which includes a suggestion that Ukraine lease Crimea to Russia, which annexed the region in 2014.

“There's nothing to talk about. How can Russia rent its own region from itself?" said Mr Peskov.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that a plan drawn up by Andrei Artemenko, a Ukrainian MP, had made its way to the White House via a Russian-American business associate of Mr Trump and the president’s personal lawyer.

Mr Artemenko told Ukrainian media the plan would entail Russian forces withdrawing from eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian voters deciding in a referendum whether Crimea would be leased to Russia for a term of 50 or 100 years.

It would also see a general amnesty for those involved in the conflict (excluding those who committed serious crimes), and would leave the border to Russia open for 72 hours to allow anyone who desired to leave before Ukraine retook control of separatist-held areas.