U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly told a group of bipartisan senators that the leaked 28-point peace proposal for ending Russia's war in Ukraine is essentially a Russian "wish list" that the U.S. is merely passing along to Kyiv as an intermediary, not an official American plan.
The revelation, dropped during a Nov. 22 phone call amid the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, has sparked bipartisan outrage, accusations of Trump administration chaos, and a swift State Department denial.
The Core Claim: What Rubio Allegedly Said
- The Senators' Bombshell: Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Angus King (I-ME), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) spilled the tea to reporters at the forum. Rounds said Rubio confirmed the document, drafted by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russia's Kirill Dmitriev, was "received" from a Russian intermediary, not authored by Washington. "It is not our recommendation, it is not our peace plan," Rounds quoted Rubio.
- King piled on: "It is essentially the wish list of the Russians" and "not the administration's position." They also said Rubio denied any "ultimatum" to Ukraine (Trump's reported Thanksgiving deadline for approval, with threats to cut aid/intel if rejected), calling it a non-issue.
Timing & Leak Context:
The 28-point plan leaked mid-week (Nov. 20–21), outlining concessions like Ukraine ceding territory (e.g., Crimea/Donbas), no NATO membership, Russian G8 reinstatement, and frozen asset splits favoring Moscow.
Zelenskyy slammed it as a "difficult moment," Putin called it a "basis" for talks, and Trump teased "we have a plan" but said it's negotiable. bbc.com +2 The senators grilled Rubio on why it took days to clarify, especially after global allies (UK, France, Germany) voiced "reservations" and prepped a unified response for Sunday's Geneva talks.
The Pushback: Rubio and State Dept. Hit Delete
- Rubio's X Clarification (Nov. 23): "The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine."
- He framed it as a "list of potential ideas," not a final deal.
- State Dept. Firefight: Spokesperson Tommy Pigott blasted the senators' claims as "blatantly false" on X, insisting Witkoff and Rubio co-developed it over a month with all parties involved.
- White House Press Sec. Karoline Leavitt echoed: No cuts to aid/intel, and the plan's flexible.
Trump, in a Nov. 22 presser, shrugged: "We'd like to get the peace... If [Zelenskyy] doesn't like it, then they should just keep fighting."
What's Really Going On? (The Bigger Picture)
This reeks of Trump 2.0 diplomacy: High-stakes bluffing to force concessions, but sloppy comms (leaks and mixed signals) have allies spooked.
The plan's Russia-friendly (e.g., asset splits, no NATO) has Zelenskyy digging in, while Putin smirks. Geneva talks (Rubio/Witkoff vs. Ukraine/EU) could clarify or explode it.
Critics (Dems/Republicans alike) call it "staggering incompetence"; fans say it's "4D chess."
