State Department Denies Russia Authored Trump’s 28-Point Ukraine Peace Plan

The State Department on Saturday denied assertions that President Trump’s 28-point Ukraine peace proposal originated in Russia, saying the document was drafted by the United States with input from both Russia and Ukraine. Secretary Marco Rubio and State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott rejected reports that the plan was merely received from an intermediary. The outline — reportedly negotiated by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian associate Kirill Dmitriev — has drawn criticism from Republican leaders and former national security adviser John Bolton. U.S., Ukrainian and European officials planned talks in Switzerland to review the proposal.

04:07 PM, 11/23/2025Politics

State Department officials on Saturday forcefully rejected claims by several senators that President Trump’s 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine originated with Russia and does not reflect the administration’s position. Washington says the document was authored by the United States with input from both Russian and Ukrainian parties.

Earlier, PBS NewsHour correspondent Nick Schifrin reported statements attributed to Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had described the plan as something the U.S. “received” from an intermediary and that it amounted to “essentially the wish list of the Russians.”

Rubio responded on the social platform X late Saturday, writing that “the peace proposal was authored by the U.S.” He described the document as “a strong framework for ongoing negotiations” and said it incorporates input from both the Russian side and from Ukraine.

Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department, replied to a post reiterating that the claim the plan was not an American product “is blatantly false.” Pigott said the plan was drafted by the United States with contributions from both Russia and Ukraine.

A senior U.S. official described the proposal as “a hopeful start to continued negotiations” and said it could serve as the basis for a final peace agreement if talks progress.

Previous reporting indicated the outline had been negotiated by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Only a small number of senior Ukrainian officials were briefed, and the leak of the plan appeared to catch some U.S. Congressional allies of Kyiv by surprise.

Several Republican leaders, including Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), criticized the proposal, arguing it would reward Russia nearly four years after its invasion of Ukraine. Critics point to provisions that would acknowledge de facto Russian control over Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk — elements Ukraine is unlikely to accept — while imposing relatively few immediate concessions on Moscow beyond a proposal to allocate frozen Russian assets toward reconstruction.

John Bolton, former national security adviser, said the plan reads “from the Russian point of view” and argued, “The Russians couldn’t have written a better treaty themselves. I think it’s selling out Ukraine.”

Vice President Vance defended the administration’s effort on X, saying that critics misunderstand the framework or misstate realities on the ground and arguing that “peace won’t be made by failed diplomats or politicians living in a fantasy land.”

Officials from Ukraine, the United States and several European governments were expected to meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the proposal in greater detail.