A controversial 28-point peace plan abruptly delivered to Kyiv by the Trump administration was the product of weeks of undisclosed negotiations between U.S. real estate executive Steve Witkoff and Russian sovereign wealth fund chief Kirill Dmitriev, according to a detailed reconstruction reported by Bloomberg. The proposal, presented to Ukraine as a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum, bypassed not only Kyiv and its European allies but also key American officials, and has triggered a scramble in European capitals as leaders rush to formulate a counter-proposal in time for discussions with U.S. officials in Switzerland.
European alarm intensified when a previously peripheral figure—U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a close longtime friend of Vice President JD Vance—told diplomats during a sudden visit to Kyiv that President Donald Trump had “run out of patience.” Driscoll claimed Ukraine was in a weak negotiating position and needed to accept territorial concessions to Russia. According to Bloomberg, the assignment normally would have fallen to senior diplomats such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, underscoring the unusual and informal channels through which the plan had taken shape. European governments, blindsided by the ultimatum, moved immediately to buy time for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, fearing that Kyiv was being pressed into an agreement without proper consultation.
Unsure who had authored the proposal or how it had emerged, European leaders began seeking clarity. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk captured the sentiment in a pointed social media post asking who was responsible for the plan and where it had originated. The answer, as later reported by Bloomberg, pointed back to an October meeting in Miami attended by Witkoff, Dmitriev, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Rubio and even Trump himself were only partially informed until late in the process. Trump ultimately approved the proposal, which advisers saw as a potential political win amid his domestic challenges, ranging from poor election results to friction with congressional Republicans over the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
For Zelenskiy, the diplomatic pressure comes as he faces a corruption scandal involving his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, adding political vulnerability at home. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side discovered that their worst suspicions were justified: large portions of the 28-point document appeared to be directly translated from Russian, with linguistic patterns that reflected Moscow’s involvement. The plan would require Ukraine to relinquish significant territory, dramatically scale back its military capabilities, and formally renounce any future attempt to join NATO. It also called for the restoration of economic ties between Washington and Moscow, a priority long sought by Russian officials.
European governments, shocked by the terms, are preparing their own counter-plan that would insist territorial discussions with Moscow occur only after fighting stops along the existing front line, and would include security guarantees modeled after NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause. Attempts to manage the war since Trump’s return to office in January have repeatedly descended into confusion and high-stakes diplomatic clashes. Previous episodes included Zelenskiy being reprimanded by Vance and Trump in the Oval Office, prompting European leaders to rush to Washington after an earlier summit involving Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Concerns flared again recently when Trump suggested holding a second summit with Putin in Budapest before the meeting was abruptly cancelled once U.S. officials concluded Russia had not shifted its position.
Despite assumptions that Senator Rubio had taken the lead on U.S. Ukraine policy, Bloomberg reports that Witkoff continued shaping the proposal behind the scenes. Even within Washington, views of the plan differ sharply. Senator Mike Rounds said Rubio privately described it as a “Russian proposal,” while Rubio later stated publicly that although the plan was authored by the U.S., it incorporated “input from the Russian side” as well as prior Ukrainian discussions. The talks in Geneva now bring together Witkoff, Driscoll, and Rubio, with Yermak representing Ukraine. It remains uncertain whether U.S. officials even want Europeans present for the negotiations.
Driscoll has reportedly remained in constant contact with Witkoff and Vance, becoming an unexpected diplomatic conduit, while Vance’s deputy national security adviser, Andy Baker, has also taken a significant role—further evidence of Vance’s growing influence over Trump’s foreign policy decisions. Confronted with mounting pushback, Trump softened his stance in a weekend television interview, saying the proposal was “not my final offer,” contradicting the hardline message Driscoll delivered in Kyiv.
The next steps may hinge on the outcome of the Switzerland talks, and whether U.S. aircraft depart for Washington afterward—or head further east toward Moscow. The stakes remain high, with the future of the conflict and Ukraine’s territorial integrity hanging in the balance as unofficial channels, political pressures, and competing agendas shape what could become the most consequential diplomatic negotiations of the war.
