U.S. President Donald Trump approved a 28-point peace plan between Russia and Ukraine this week. The proposal was crafted by top administration officials in consultation with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian officials, a senior administration official told NBC News.
According to the network's reporting published on November 19, 2025, the plan's formation involved Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the President's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
"The plan focuses on providing both sides with security guarantees to ensure a lasting peace. It includes things that Ukraine wants and needs to achieve a sustainable peace," the senior official told NBC News. The representative declined to disclose specific details, noting that the document is still subject to a certain level of negotiation with key stakeholders.
At the same time, the Financial Times and Axios yesterday revealed the document's specific content. According to their data, the plan requires Ukraine to cede the remainder of the Donbas, including Kyiv-controlled territories, slash its armed forces by half, renounce key weapon categories, and recognize Russian as an official state language. It also stipulates granting official status to the Russian Orthodox Church and winding down U.S. military aid.
Reuters reported that Washington has signaled to President Volodymyr Zelensky the need to accept the core points of the American framework agreement. Axios reports that while the U.S. and other nations would recognize Crimea and the Donbas as legitimate Russian territory, they will not demand Ukraine do the same.
Three U.S. officials told NBC News that the framework agreement still needs to be presented to the Ukrainians, noting that the plan's finalization coincided with a U.S. Army delegation visit to Ukraine. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, accompanied by Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday morning. An American official described the trip as a White House effort aimed at "restarting peace talks."
Ukraine did not participate in forming the proposed peace plan, according to a source close to the Ukrainian government and a European official familiar with the matter. Ukraine was informed of the plan's general contours but was neither given a detailed briefing nor asked to submit proposals.
Ukrainian officials view the proposal's timing—coinciding with a devastating corruption scandal surrounding Volodymyr Zelensky's government—as far from accidental. A source close to the Ukrainian government stated that officials see this as likely a Kremlin attempt to exploit a potentially weakened Ukrainian leadership.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a statement on X on Wednesday regarding the necessity of difficult concessions: "Ending a complex and deadly war like the one in Ukraine requires the broad exchange of serious and realistic ideas. Achieving a lasting peace will require both sides to agree to hard but necessary concessions."
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who spearheaded legislation to punish Russia for its actions in Ukraine, told NBC News he was previously unaware of the proposal. "I'm hoping there is no plan — no plan will work unless Putin believes we’re serious about continuing to provide top-tier military aid to Ukraine," Graham said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated at a briefing that there are "no such plans" for Russia to meet with Driscoll following his talks in Kyiv, pointing to little change since negotiations in Alaska in August.
