President Donald Trump’s administration is disputing assertions from Capitol Hill that its latest proposal for a peace agreement in Ukraine amounts to a Russian “wish list,” insisting instead that the framework was crafted by the United States with input from both sides of the conflict.
According to Fox News, the confusion erupted after several lawmakers said they had been led to believe the plan originated from Moscow. Secretary of State Marco Rubio forcefully rejected that characterization, prompting a flurry of clarifications from senators who attended a closed-door briefing.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told reporters that Rubio made the administration’s position unmistakable.
“[Rubio] made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives,” Rounds said. “It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan. It is a proposal that was received, and as an intermediary, we have made arrangements to share it — and we did not release it. It was leaked.”
Still, some senators left the meeting with the impression that the document reflected Russian priorities. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said Rubio told lawmakers it “was not the administration’s plan” but instead a “wish list of the Russians.”
Rubio pushed back on that account in a post on social media, insisting the plan’s origins were American.
He wrote that the proposal “was authored by the U.S.,” describing it as “a strong framework for ongoing negotiations” shaped by “input from the Russian side” as well as “previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
After Rubio’s public clarification, Rounds issued another statement through his office expressing support for the diplomatic effort.
“I appreciate Secretary Rubio briefing us earlier today on their efforts to bring about peace by relying on input from both Russia and Ukraine to arrive at a final deal,” Rounds said.
The administration is now working to shore up support abroad. Rubio traveled to Geneva on Sunday with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll for meetings with Ukrainian officials. Their discussions are expected to focus on Kyiv’s objections to aspects of the developing agreement.
For his part, Trump voiced frustration with Ukraine’s leadership amid the ongoing talks.
“UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY OIL FROM RUSSIA,” he wrote in a message on Truth Social.
Although the full proposal has not been released, a leaked draft reportedly includes provisions that would freeze fighting along current lines, grant Russia control of additional Ukrainian territory not yet under its military occupation, and bar Ukraine from joining NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not reject the proposal outright in remarks last week. He urged caution, calling the moment “truly one of the most difficult in our history,” and pledged to “work calmly” with the United States and other partners while insisting on fair treatment for Ukraine as negotiations continue.
