Washington, D.C. – State Department officials forcefully rejected claims Saturday that President Donald Trump’s 28-point Ukraine peace framework originated from Russia, insisting the proposal was authored by the United States with input from both Kyiv and Moscow. The pushback came after PBS correspondent Nick Schifrin reported comments from Sens. Mike Rounds and Angus King, who said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the plan was “received” through an intermediary and resembled a Russian “wish list.”
Rubio disputed that characterization, writing on X that the plan “was authored by the U.S.” and was intended as a “strong framework” for negotiations. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott added that assertions the plan did not reflect the administration’s position were “blatantly false,” reaffirming that U.S. officials incorporated feedback from both sides.
Reporting from Reuters and Axios previously revealed that the framework was negotiated by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian official Kirill Dmitriev, and that only a small circle of Ukrainian officials had been briefed. The plan includes provisions that would place Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk under “de facto” Russian control with U.S. recognition — a red line for many in Congress and in Kyiv.
The proposal has drawn significant bipartisan skepticism. Senate Republican leaders Mitch McConnell and Roger Wicker said it would reward Vladimir Putin nearly four years after the invasion, while former national security adviser John Bolton said Russia “couldn’t have written a better treaty themselves.” Vice President JD Vance defended the framework, arguing critics misunderstand the details and the realities on the ground.
Officials from the U.S., Ukraine, and several European nations are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan further.
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