Confusion grows over US-led deal said to contain major concessions to Moscow
US President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Ukraine has shown “zero gratitude” for Washington’s efforts to end the war, even as American, Ukrainian and European negotiators met in Switzerland to discuss a peace plan that has sparked alarm across allied governments.
The proposal — a 28-point document that would require Ukraine to give up territory, limit its military and stay out of NATO — has become the center of controversy after questions emerged about who actually wrote it. Poland’s president, Donald Tusk, publicly asked where the plan came from, following comments by US secretary of state Marco Rubio that suggested the text was originally drafted by Moscow.
European leaders, including the EU Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, say the current proposal undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and cannot stand. Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, also warned that the deep “differences” make a deal unlikely this week.
A plan with Russian fingerprints
The document is believed to have been written by Kirill Dmitriev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, together with Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff. US senators say Rubio acknowledged the draft was not American and had been passed to the US by Moscow before being forwarded to Kyiv. Rubio later insisted Washington did “author” the proposal, but with “input” from Russia and Ukraine.
The confusion has triggered strong backlash in Washington, including from some Republicans. Facing criticism, Trump backed away from his earlier demand that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy sign the agreement by Thursday, saying instead it was “not my final offer.”
On social media, Trump blamed Joe Biden for the war and repeated claims that Ukraine and Europe were not showing appreciation for American support. “UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS,” he wrote.
Kyiv tries to navigate a diplomatic storm
In Geneva, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, led the Ukrainian delegation in meetings with US officials, including Rubio, Witkoff, and US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The group also met with France, Germany and the UK, including UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell.
Zelenskyy has warned that Ukraine faces an extremely difficult choice: accept terms that compromise the nation’s future, or risk losing support from its most powerful ally. He has urged diplomacy, saying the goal must be to stop the bloodshed and prevent the war from restarting.
European officials say the draft peace plan would set a dangerous precedent. It rules out NATO membership for Ukraine, limits where NATO aircraft can operate, and blocks any Western peacekeeping mission. Diplomats argue that the terms echo Russia’s long-standing demands to roll NATO back to its 1997 borders.
What happens next
US officials say they hope to “iron out final details” and move toward a deal that Ukraine can accept. They stress that nothing will be finalized until Trump and Zelenskyy meet directly.
For now, Europe appears ready to publicly praise Washington’s role in seeking peace — while quietly working to rewrite the plan into something that does not weaken Ukraine or reshape European security around Moscow’s demands.
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