Officials from the U.S., Ukraine and other European countries met on Sunday to talk about President Donald Trump’s 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. However, there’s been confusion over who wrote the plan amid accusations from U.S. senators that Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized it as “Russia’s wish list.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that at this point, “there is an understanding that the American proposals may take into account a number of elements that are based on the Ukrainian vision and are critically important for Ukraine’s national interests.”
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“Further work continues to ensure that all elements are truly effective in achieving the main goal that our people are counting on — ultimately putting an end to the bloodshed and the war,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine’s Presidential Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak said on X that the Ukrainian delegation held its first meeting with national security advisers for the United Kingdom, France and Germany. After that, they met with the U.S. delegation.
“I want to confirm that we had a very productive first session with the distinguished American delegation,” Yermak said. “We have made very good progress and are moving forward to a just and lasting peace.”
However, before the U.S. meeting, Trump took to Truth Social and criticized Ukrainian leadership, which he said has “EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS.”
“I INHERITED A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, A WAR THAT IS A LOSER FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE SO NEEDLESSLY DIED,” he wrote.
The proposal
The peace plan under discussion requires Russia to recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty, but also demands major concessions from Kyiv — sparking concern among Ukrainian and European leaders.
Included in the proposal is Ukraine giving up some of its territory, agreeing not to join NATO and accepting a cap on the size of its military. Russia, meanwhile, is required to recognize Ukraine’s sovereignty.
A senior U.S. administration official told ABC News that the plan also includes NATO-style security guarantees that American and European allies will see an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the “transatlantic community.”
Ukraine’s representative to the United Nations previously told the Security Council that Kyiv refuses to surrender any territory.
Trump, talking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, said the U.S. proposal is “not his final offer,” though he did not elaborate on what this meant.
“I would like to get to peace. It should have happened a long time ago. The Ukraine war with Russia should have never happened,” Trump said. “One way or the other, we have to get it ended.”
At a Saturday news conference, a bipartisan group of senators said Rubio called them while he was en route to Geneva to discuss the 28-point plan.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said Rubio “made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives.”
“It is not our recommendation, it is not our peace plan,” he said. “It is a proposal that was received.”
Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said that according to Rubio, the plan, “is not of the administration’s position — it is essentially the wish list of the Russians.”
Rubio pushed back on the senators’ remarks and maintained that the peace proposal was authored by the U.S.
“It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations,” he said. “It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
In light of this, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said European, Canadian and Japanese leaders are ready to work on the 28-point plan, “despite some reservations.”
“However, before we start our work, it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created,” Tusk wrote on X.
