Photo: Getty Images
President Donald Trump's administration has reportedly been secretly working with Russia to draft plans to end the invasion of Ukraine inspired by the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, U.S. and Russian officials confirmed to Axios.
The 28-point U.S. plan reportedly includes four general buckets: peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, security in Europe and future U.S. relations with both Russia and Ukraine, the sources confirmed, though it's unclear how it will approach more contentious issues such as territorial control in eastern Ukraine where the Kremlin has gained some control but far less than it's demanded previously.
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly leading the drafting of the plan, having worked closely with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev on negotiations. Witkoff was expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Turkey on Wednesday (November 19), however, his trip was postponed.
Witkoff had, however, reportedly discussed the drafted plans with Zelenskyy's national security adviser, Rustem Umerov, during a meeting in Miami that took place earlier this week, a Ukrainian official confirmed to Axios.
"We know the Americans are working on something," the official said.
A White House official claimed that Trump is confident that a peace deal could be reached.
"The president has been clear that it is time to stop the killing and make a deal to end the war. President Trump believes that there is a chance to end this senseless war if flexibility is shown," the official told Axios.