Trump's Ukraine Peace Plan "Copied from Russia": How?

Three informed sources revealed that the US-backed peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, which became public last week, is derived from a Russian document sent to President Donald Trump’s administration last October.

1. Revelation of the Russian Basis of the Plan

• Source of the Plan: Sources told Reuters that the Russians sent the document, which included Moscow's conditions for ending the war (such as ceding large areas of land in eastern Ukraine), to senior US officials in mid-October following a meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington.

• Officials' Skepticism: Many US officials and lawmakers view the plan as merely a "list of Russian positions, not a serious proposal."

• Expected Ukrainian Rejection: Senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, believe the Ukrainians will "categorically reject the demands put forward by Moscow."

2. The Role of Unofficial Channels

• Miami Meeting: The plan was drafted, at least partially, during an unofficial meeting last month between Jared Kushner (Trump's son-in-law) and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff with Kirill Dmitriev (head of a Russian sovereign wealth fund) in Miami.

• Kremlin Advice: Bloomberg reported that Witkoff advised Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on how Putin should discuss the plan with Trump.

3. US Pressure and Plan Revision

• Threat of Aid Cut: The US is pressuring Ukraine, threatening to reduce military aid if it does not sign the original plan.

• Post-Uproar Review: After the proposal caused a diplomatic uproar in Washington and Europe, ABC News reported that 9 out of the original 28 points were scrapped following US-Ukrainian talks.

• Rubio's Statement: Senators claimed Rubio told them the 28-point plan was "not an American plan but a Russian wish list," a claim the White House and State Department strongly denied.

• Current Ukrainian Position: Ukrainian officials agreed to the "framework of the revised peace agreement" resulting from the recent Geneva talks, but stressed that the most sensitive issues (especially territorial concessions) need refinement in a potential meeting between Zelensky and Trump.