A bipartisan group of Senators said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them that President Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan was not written by the administration and was a Russian wish list.
Last week, Axios reported that the Trump administration’s peace plan was drafted by the Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff with input from Moscow. The deal would see Ukraine cede the remainder of the Donbas under its control, and recognize Moscow’s claim to Ukrainian territory held by Russian forces.
Kiev would also have to agree to neutrality, although it would receive some security guarantees from its Western backers, and limit the size of its military. Ukraine would be allowed to strengthen its economic and diplomatic ties with the West by becoming a member of the European Union.
On Saturday, Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Angus King, and Mike Rounds said that Rubio informed them that the peace plan was drafted by Russia. King said Rubio told the Senators that the proposal “was not the administration’s plan” but a “wish list of the Russians.”
Republican Rounds said, “This administration was not responsible for this release in its current form. They want to utilize it as a starting point.” He added, “It looked more like it was written in Russian to begin with.”
Rubio and the State Department denied the Senators’ retelling of their meeting with Rubio. Senior White House officials say Washington drafted the proposal with input from Kiev and Moscow.
In his remark, King went on to slam the peace plan as rewarding Russian aggression. “It rewards aggression. This is pure and simple. There’s no ethical, legal, moral, political justification for Russia claiming eastern Ukraine,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also denounced Trump’s peace plan. “Vladimir Putin is a thug and a butcher. And Trump’s so-called “peace plan” gives this thug and butcher just about everything that he wants.” He continued, “There’s only one word to describe this plan: capitulation.”
Moscow has responded positively to the 28-point proposal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the plan could serve as a starting point for a deal to end the war.
