Following Axios’ publication of a purported new plan to end the war in Ukraine, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on X that the outlet’s journalist likely “got it from K,” and deleted the message shortly afterward.
Witkoff’s post was first flagged by journalist Michael Weiss, followed by The Daily Beast. His comment appeared under Axios reporter Barak Ravid’s post about the alleged peace plan.
“He must have gotten it from K,” Witkoff wrote – with Western journalists widely assuming K means Kirill Dmitriev.
Axios reported on Nov. 19 that the 28-point plan is being developed under Witkoff’s leadership and that he discussed it in detail with Dmitriev, the Russian president’s special envoy.
Dmitriev himself was quoted as saying, “We feel that Russia’s position has truly been heard,” though he declined to provide specifics.
Those details emerged later through other outlets: the plan would require Ukraine to surrender the Donbas, slash its armed forces by half, abandon certain weapons, and grant Russian official language status.
European officials familiar with earlier covert diplomacy efforts told Kyiv Post they immediately recognized Dmitriev’s style – a Kremlin-linked operative long tied to back-channel outreach aimed at Western intermediaries.
They say the latest rumors follow a familiar pattern: a Russia-origin proposal laundered through Western media and figures close to Trump, including Witkoff, who has appeared in previous failed “peace framework” attempts.
Several European diplomats described the current version as “another Witkoff-Dmitriev construct,” designed to create the illusion of negotiations where none exist. Their warning is blunt: “Don’t fall for it.”
One senior official said anything linked to Dmitriev should come with “a massive health warning,” calling him a repeat player in schemes intended to sow divisions between Washington and Kyiv.
Officials across the US and Europe are distancing themselves from the report, telling Kyiv Post they cannot confirm that any such plan exists.
A senior US official dismissed the document as a “maximalist Kremlin fantasy,” the sort of wishlist Washington believes Moscow circulates to test Western nerves. European diplomats called the episode a “familiar Russian parlor trick.”
The situation escalated after President Donald Trump, speaking at a US-Saudi investment forum, boasted that he had personally urged Vladimir Putin to let him “settle your freaking war.”
Reuters reported that the supposed plan envisioned Ukraine giving up territory and weapons; the Financial Times cited claims that Ukraine’s armed forces would be halved and Russian made an official language.
Trump’s remarks revived long-standing questions about his belief in resolving global conflicts through personal deal-making. “I’m a little disappointed in President Putin right now,” he said.
In Washington, officials tried to cool the speculation. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said there was “no news or announcement” to share while reiterating that securing “peace in Europe” remains a US priority.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that ending the war “requires an extensive exchange of serious and realistic ideas” – phrasing veteran diplomat Daniel Fried said resembled damage control, not a real proposal.
On Capitol Hill, reactions split sharply. Senator Lindsey Graham, usually a Trump ally, said any real peace plan must be backed by overwhelming US military support for Ukraine - “no deal that looks like surrender.” Representative Don Bacon compared the rumored, Ukraine-free negotiation to the 1938 Munich Agreement.