Trump administration ‘secretly working with Russia to form new Ukraine peace plan’ | The Independent
U.S. officials have intensified talks with Russia to reach a new peace agreement that could stop the war in Ukraine. A source close to the discussions said Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy, has led the talks. The discussions moved faster this week as Moscow signaled interest in a possible deal.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll reached Ukraine this morning with a Pentagon team. Army Spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said they were in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian leaders and study the situation. The team traveled on the president’s instruction as part of the wider effort to restart stalled diplomatic discussions. One U.S. official said Driscoll would speak with President Volodymyr Zelensky and senior members of the government. They planned to discuss battlefield conditions and current military needs.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the visit of the U.S. team to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal posted on Telegram that he met Driscoll in Kyiv. He shared a photo of them shaking hands. Shmyhal thanked the United States for daily support that protects Ukrainian lives. He said he presented new defense technology ideas and stressed the next steps to carry out agreements reached by Zelensky and President Trump.
Driscoll has not taken part in earlier peace meetings. He is a long-time associate of Vice President JD Vance from their time at Yale Law School. His current focus has been on military purchasing. Others who traveled with him included Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Gen. Chris Donahue from U.S. Army Europe, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer.
Russian officials confirmed that talks are active. Meetings have involved Witkoff and Russian Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev. Dmitriev visited the United States in October and met several American officials. One Russian source described the discussion as productive.
A recent Axios report claimed the working draft between Washington and Moscow covers 28 points. These include security conditions for Ukraine and European countries, along with rules for future relations among the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov played down the report. He said there were no new developments beyond the August meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska.
The level of involvement from Europe and Ukraine in the current talks is still unclear. Sources close to the conversations said it is unknown whether they will support the plan.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media that the administration is speaking with both Kyiv and Moscow. He wrote that ending a violent conflict demands careful exchange of realistic proposals. He added that any lasting peace would require difficult choices from both sides. He wrote that the administration is developing a list of possible steps based on input from both parties in the conflict. The White House did not comment when contacted.
The administration has tried several times to push peace efforts forward. Past attempts collapsed because Putin refused to agree to deeper commitments. Trump told an investment audience that he expected a smoother process due to his long-standing working relationship with Putin. He expressed disappointment in the Russian president’s position.
Last month, after speaking with Putin by phone, Trump said progress seemed strong enough that he planned to travel to Budapest for a face-to-face meeting. Five days later, the event was cancelled and new sanctions on Moscow were announced. These were the first in Trump’s second term. Officials said the president changed direction after concluding that Putin’s stance had not changed since their last meeting in Alaska.
Earlier peace proposals focused on freezing Russian and Ukrainian forces along existing front lines. European governments and Ukraine accepted that as a starting point for further negotiation. Russia rejected the idea, saying they were not interested in a temporary halt but wanted a longer and more stable peace.
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CNN’s Haley Britzky
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