A mistakenly public social media post from Donald Trump's special envoy has provided unprecedented insight into secret peace negotiations between the United States and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The revealing message
Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy and trusted Ukraine peace negotiator, accidentally posted a public message on X that was quickly deleted but not before being captured by observers. The message, "He must have got this from K...", was in response to a scoop by Axios reporter Barak Ravid about a secret plan to end the Ukraine conflict.
The post suggests Witkoff believed he was sending a private message, giving the public a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes diplomacy occurring without the knowledge of Ukrainian or European officials.
The key players
The mysterious "K" referenced in Witkoff's message is believed to be Kirill Dmitriev, who has emerged as Vladimir Putin's unofficial envoy to Washington. Dmitriev, a Kyiv-born, Stanford-educated economist, represents the Russian counterpart to Witkoff in these sensitive negotiations.
These two men form an unlikely diplomatic pairing. Witkoff is a real estate mogul while Dmitriev is an economist - backgrounds that appear equally unsuited to resolving one of the world's most complex geopolitical conflicts. Yet both leaders have entrusted them with this monumental task.
The 28-point peace plan
According to the Axios report that prompted Witkoff's revealing post, the two envoys recently met in Florida to discuss a comprehensive 28-point peace plan. The timing coincides with the arrival of senior US Department of War officials, including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, in Kyiv for previously scheduled meetings.
Sources indicate that the discussions quickly shifted from planned topics like drone technology and winter offensive planning to focus on the Russian-presented peace plan that Witkoff and Dmitriev had been developing.
Ukrainian sources have expressed significant concerns about the proposed plan, which reportedly includes "territorial concessions" and "reductions in military strength". Ukrainian officials view the proposal as another attempt to "play the American government."
Security guarantees and territorial demands
The proposed peace agreement appears to link security guarantees from the United States with significant Ukrainian territorial concessions. During President Zelenskyy's last visit to Washington, Trump signaled willingness to provide security guarantees, though crucial details remained unspecified.
Current reporting suggests these security guarantees would be contingent on Ukraine surrendering the entire Donbas region, including approximately 15% of territory that Russia does not currently control. These areas would become a demilitarised zone under the proposed arrangement.
This framework bears strong resemblance to a plan previously floated by Vice President JD Vance before Trump's election victory, which was rejected as unworkable at the time.
International mediation efforts
The negotiations appear to involve broader international participation, with sources indicating that Qatari mediators were present during Witkoff's meeting with Ukraine's national security advisor Rustem Umerov last weekend.
The multipoint peace plan developed for Gaza is reportedly being considered as a potential model for Ukraine, despite the significant differences between the two conflicts and their underlying causes.
European sources have confirmed they were unaware of these Russian-American discussions, highlighting the secretive nature of the negotiations.
Diplomatic positioning
President Zelenskyy, during his recent visit to Turkey, publicly praised Trump's peace efforts, stating: "Since the beginning of this year, we in Ukraine have supported every decisive step and the leadership of @POTUS, every strong and fair proposal aimed at ending this war."
He added that "only President Trump and the United States have sufficient power to make this war come to an end" - language that diplomatic observers interpret as strategic flattery aimed at maintaining American support.
The developments come as Russia seeks to avoid secondary US sanctions by appearing engaged in peace proposals, while Ukraine navigates the delicate balance of maintaining international support while protecting its territorial integrity.
