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Senators Say Rubio Called Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan a Russian 'Wish List' — State Department Disputes It

05:09 AM, 11/24/2025
Senators Say Rubio Called Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan a Russian 'Wish List' — State Department Disputes It

Key points: A group of U.S. senators said Senator Marco Rubio told them the Trump-backed, leaked 28-point Ukraine peace proposal looked like a Russian "wish list," a claim the State Department called "blatantly false." Rubio publicly defended the proposal as U.S.-authored with input from Russia and Ukraine. The draft concedes several demands Moscow has long sought, prompting concern from lawmakers and cautious response from President Zelensky as diplomatic talks approach in Geneva.

Several U.S. senators attending the Halifax International Security Forum said Saturday that Senator Marco Rubio told them the widely leaked, 28-point peace proposal President Trump is pressing Kyiv to accept amounted to a “wish list” from Russia rather than a statement of Washington’s positions. The State Department flatly denied that account, calling the senators’ version of events “blatantly false.”

The discrepancy emerged after the White House published a draft framework it described as a U.S.-authored, 28-point proposal developed over roughly a month with input from both Ukrainian and Russian sources. According to the draft, the plan concedes several demands long sought by Moscow — including territorial compromises that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected.

Senators' Account and the Pushback

At a press briefing, Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota said the administration "was not responsible for this release in its current form" and suggested the document appeared to advantage Moscow. Independent Senator Angus King of Maine told reporters that Rubio, while traveling to Geneva for talks, had told a group of senators the plan "was not the administration’s plan" but was instead a "wish list of the Russians." A bipartisan group of veteran lawmakers who focus on foreign relations relayed the same account.

"It rewards aggression. This is pure and simple," King said on a Halifax panel. "There’s no ethical, legal, moral, political justification for Russia claiming eastern Ukraine."

Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesperson, directly contradicted the senators’ recounting of the conversation, calling it "blatantly false." Senator Rubio responded publicly on X, saying the peace proposal "was authored by the US" and that it "is based on input from the Russian side" as well as "previous and ongoing input from Ukraine." A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, echoed that the White House considers the document a U.S. framework intended as a starting point for continued negotiations.

Reactions and Next Steps

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the proposal and suggested it "could form the basis of a final peace settlement" if Ukraine and European partners agreed. President Zelensky stopped short of endorsing the plan, saying he would seek fair treatment and that Ukraine would "work calmly" with its Western partners as discussions continue.

The conflicting public accounts have created a confusing moment for an administration that has endorsed the draft. Rubio was reported to be traveling to Geneva as part of a U.S. delegation to discuss the plan, where further diplomatic talks were expected.

The Halifax forum, which draws senior officials, lawmakers and security experts, provided the setting for the unusually public dispute. The incident highlights growing concern among some U.S. lawmakers that the draft could reward Russian aggression and complicate efforts to secure a durable settlement acceptable to Kyiv.

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Senators Say Rubio Called Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan a Russian 'Wish List' — State Department Disputes It - CRBC News