A controversial 28‑point proposal backed by the Trump administration to end the Russia‑Ukraine war has come under intense scrutiny, prompting U.S., Ukrainian and European officials meeting in Geneva to explore revisions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the weekend discussions with Ukrainian counterparts as “very, very meaningful,” while President Donald Trump signaled optimism that “something good just may be happening” in the peace process.
U.S. officials have acknowledged the existence of a 28‑point draft peace plan for the Russia‑Ukraine war that has drawn sharp criticism in Kyiv and among Western allies for incorporating many of Moscow’s demands.
According to Reuters and other outlets, the document, presented by Washington to Kyiv, would require Ukraine to give up additional territory, scale back the size of its armed forces and permanently abandon its bid to join NATO. Ukrainian and European officials say they were not fully consulted before the plan began circulating publicly, and European governments rushed to coordinate their response. (brecorder.com)
Axios previously reported that Trump associate Steve Witkoff discussed a 28‑point draft with Russian sovereign wealth fund chief Kirill Dmitriev in Miami in late October, building on ideas linked to an August 2025 U.S.–Russia meeting in Alaska. Public accounts differ over the exact origins of the document: some U.S. officials and media reports describe it as a U.S.‑drafted proposal approved by President Trump, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told lawmakers it resembled a Russian “wish list” that the United States passed along rather than authored. (en.wikipedia.org)
Details published by multiple outlets indicate that the plan would confirm Ukraine’s sovereignty while demanding major concessions. Reporting by Reuters and other organizations says the draft envisions Ukraine ceding additional territory in the east, sharply reducing the size of its army, and writing into its constitution a pledge never to join NATO. In parallel, NATO would be expected to bar Ukraine’s future membership and limit alliance forces on Ukrainian soil. In return, Russia would be bound by a non‑aggression arrangement that includes a commitment not to invade neighboring countries, and NATO would forgo further expansion, according to summaries of the proposal. (brecorder.com)
The plan has triggered a political backlash on both sides of the Atlantic. Ukrainian officials have publicly rejected any agreement that violates the country’s sovereignty or rewards Russian aggression. Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, denied that he had accepted the plan’s terms, saying his role in recent contacts with U.S. officials was “technical” and that he had no authority to approve such a document. (brecorder.com)
European leaders, including those in Britain and Germany, have voiced concern that the draft appears to endorse key Russian wartime demands and were preparing their own counter‑proposal, according to statements and reports from European capitals. A separate European plan, backed by several EU states, has been framed as an attempt to ensure any settlement upholds Ukraine’s territorial integrity and international law. (politico.com)
Amid the uproar, U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva over the weekend to work through possible changes. The Daily Wire, citing State Department remarks, reports that Rubio met Ukrainian officials in the Swiss city to discuss ways to “narrow the differences” and move closer to an arrangement both Kyiv and Washington “are very comfortable with.” He described the session as “very, very meaningful” and “the best meeting and day we’ve had so far in this entire process,” which he said began in January. (dailywire.com)
According to reporting by the Kyiv Post, citing the Financial Times, negotiations in Geneva resulted in significant changes to the original text, with the number of points reportedly reduced from 28 to 19. The revised draft is said to have removed or softened several provisions seen as overly favorable to Moscow, though the full content of the updated version has not been made public. (kyivpost.com)
President Trump has both defended and hedged on the proposal. Speaking to reporters in Washington, he said the 28‑point document was not his “final offer” and suggested that if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected it, Ukraine could “continue to fight his little heart out.” In separate comments reported by international outlets, Trump has pressed for a swift decision from Kyiv, setting informal deadlines while insisting that “we’d like to get the peace” and that the war “should have never happened.” (aa.com.tr)
On Monday, Trump struck a more upbeat tone online. In a Truth Social post highlighted by the Daily Wire, he wrote: “Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” (dailywire.com)
Rubio’s own characterizations of the plan have evolved. According to reporting from Politico and the New York Post, the secretary of state told lawmakers at the Halifax International Security Forum that the proposal did not represent the official U.S. position and described it as a Russian‑origin document, a “wish list” that Washington had received and shared rather than formally endorsed. Rubio later stated publicly that the plan was authored by the United States and constituted a useful framework for continued talks, a discrepancy that has fueled questions on Capitol Hill about the administration’s role. (politico.com)
Republican senators have also raised concerns about the direction of the negotiations. As reported by the Daily Wire, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned on X that “those who think pressuring the victim and appeasing the aggressor will bring peace are kidding themselves,” asking pointedly what concessions were being demanded of Russia. Senator Lindsey Graham said any eventual deal that includes security guarantees for Ukraine should be subject to congressional review, drawing a parallel to legislative oversight of nuclear agreements with Iran. (dailywire.com)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has welcomed the overall thrust of the original draft, according to several international reports, viewing its territorial and military limits on Ukraine as a basis for further talks. At the same time, Moscow has signaled dissatisfaction with emerging European counter‑proposals that seek to curb Russian gains, and has warned that a failure to secure favorable terms could mean continued or intensified fighting. (uz.kursiv.media)
The current phase of shuttle diplomacy builds on a summer summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska, where broader security issues and the contours of a possible settlement were discussed and later informed the draft plan, according to background reporting on the negotiations. With the war, which escalated sharply in 2022, still grinding on, officials in Washington, Kyiv and European capitals say that any agreement will require extensive revisions and broad international backing before it can realistically bring the conflict to an end. (dailywire.com)
