The Trump administration has been secretly coordinating with Moscow on a new plan to end the war in Ukraine, an initiative that has expanded into a series of discreet meetings and draft proposals as Washington probes the conditions under which a political settlement could be considered.
Four-part plan modeled on Trump’s Gaza push
Axios, a US-based digital news outlet known for its political and national security scoops, reported that the 28-point proposal is structured around four themes: achieving peace in Ukraine, providing security guarantees, broader European security, and the future of US relations with both Russia and Ukraine. The blueprint is said to take inspiration from US President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to secure a deal in Gaza.
According to the source, a senior Russian official said he was “optimistic” about the plan’s chances and claimed it reflects Moscow’s positions more accurately than previous diplomatic initiatives. It remains unclear how Kyiv or its European partners will respond.
Contentious issues such as territorial control in eastern Ukraine are still unresolved, Axios noted, even as Russian forces continue slow advances that fall short of the Kremlin’s maximalist territorial demands.
Witkoff and Dmitriev lead back-channel drafting
Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, has been leading the drafting effort and has held extensive talks with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, who is also deeply involved in Kremlin diplomacy over Ukraine.
Dmitriev told the outlet he spent three days in Miami from Oct. 24-26 “huddled” with Witkoff and other members of Trump’s team. He expressed confidence in the negotiations, saying that for the first time “we feel the Russian position is really being heard.”
Planned Zelensky meeting postponed
Witkoff had been expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey on Wednesday, but the trip was postponed, Ukrainian and US officials told Axios. Zelensky is still set to travel to Turkey for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan aimed at reviving efforts toward a “just peace” with Russia – though the cancellation of the expected Witkoff meeting raises more questions than answers about Washington’s back-channel diplomacy. According to Reuters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would also not participate in the talks: “No, there will be no Russian representatives in Turkey.”
However, Witkoff did meet earlier this week in Miami with Zelensky’s national security adviser, Rustem Umerov, a Ukrainian official confirmed.
“We know the Americans are working on something,” the official said.
A White House official told Axios that Trump “believes that there is a chance to end this senseless war if flexibility is shown,” adding: “The president has been clear that it is time to stop the killing and make a deal to end the war.”
Broader security framework tied to US-Russia relations
Dmitriev said the effort builds on principles Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to in talks in Alaska last August. He described the initiative as “a much broader framework” addressing not only the conflict in Ukraine but also “how to restore US-Russia ties [and] address Russia’s security concerns.”
He said the aim is to produce a written document before Trump and Putin next meet. A planned summit in Budapest between the two leaders is currently on hold.
Not part of UK-led “Gaza-style” proposal
Dmitriev said that this US-Russia effort is unrelated to a separate UK-led attempt to draft a Gaza-style peace plan for Ukraine – a proposal he argued “had no chance of success” because it ignored Russia’s demands.
He said Washington is now explaining the “benefits” of its approach to Kyiv and European governments, suggesting the timing aligns with what he called Russia’s “additional successes on the battlefield.”
White House briefing Europeans, sees “real chance” of support
According to the US official, the White House has begun briefing European allies as well as Ukrainian officials. The official said Washington believes there is “a real chance” of securing support from both Kyiv and European capitals, and emphasized that the proposal will be adjusted following consultations.
“We think the timing is good for this plan now. But both parties need to be practical and realistic,” the official said.