Controversy Erupts Over Ukraine Peace Plan Origins
A major diplomatic controversy has erupted surrounding the proposed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, with US politicians claiming the document represents a Russian "wish list" rather than an authentic American proposal. The allegations emerged as officials gathered for discussions in Switzerland, casting doubt on the origins of a plan that has surprised many observers for its favourable terms toward Moscow.
According to senators critical of President Donald Trump's approach to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed them that the proposal did not originate from the Trump administration but was essentially drafted by Moscow. The senators maintained that Mr Rubio explicitly described the plan as a "wish list" from the Russians during conversations that took place while he was en route to Geneva for talks about the proposal.
Conflicting Accounts and Denials
The US State Department has vehemently denied these characterisations, labelling the senators' account as "blatantly false." Mr Rubio himself has insisted that the senators were mistaken and that Washington was ultimately responsible for the proposals. This conflicting narrative has created significant confusion about who actually authored the 28 points currently under consideration.
Republican Senator Mike Rounds has been particularly vocal in his scepticism, stating at a security conference in Canada that "this administration was not responsible for this release in its current form." He suggested the document appeared to be originally written in Russian and that the administration merely wanted to use it as a starting point for negotiations.
Independent Senator Angus King corroborated this version of events, asserting that Mr Rubio told them the plan "was not the administration's plan" but rather represented "essentially the wish list of the Russians."
International Concerns and Russian Reactions
The confusion has spread to international leaders, with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly raising concerns about the plan's origins. On Sunday, he took to social media platform X to question: "It would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created."
Meanwhile, Russian perspectives have added another layer to the complex situation. Sergei Markov, a former adviser to Vladimir Putin, denied that Russia was behind the peace plan, telling Sky News that "it is American" and that the points provided "a very good basis for diplomatic negotiation." Markov claimed there were "some positive moods in Russia about it" while simultaneously accusing Europe and Ukraine of wanting to continue the conflict.
The controversy deepens with revelations about the plan's development process. According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, American special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Kirill Dmitriev in Miami at the end of October to work on the proposals. Mr Dmitriev, a close ally of the Russian president, was blacklisted by the US government in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Content and Reactions to the Proposed Plan
The 28-point plan currently under discussion calls for significant concessions from Kyiv, including ceding territory to Russia, pledging not to join NATO, and abandoning certain types of weaponry. These terms have raised eyebrows among many observers for appearing disproportionately favourable to Moscow.
President Trump initially demanded that Ukraine accept the peace plan by a specific Thursday deadline but has since moderated his position, stating that the proposal did not represent his final offer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not rejected the proposals outright but has emphasised that he will not betray Ukraine's interests.
In contrast, Vladimir Putin has described the plan as providing a basis for resolving the conflict. The proposal has also faced criticism from within US political circles, with Senator Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressing strong scepticism. "This so-called 'peace plan' has real problems, and I am highly sceptical it will achieve peace," he stated.
As the diplomatic storm continues, questions remain about the true authorship of the proposal and whether it represents a genuine peace initiative or a document heavily influenced by Russian interests. The situation underscores the complex geopolitical tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
