Washington (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A meeting in Miami between US President Trump’s envoys and Russian Kirill Dmitriev led to a 28-point Ukraine peace plan, raising alarm in Washington and Europe.
As reported by Reuters, US officials and lawmakers express worries over last month’s Miami meeting between the President Trump administration and sanctioned Russian aide Kirill Dmitriev to draft a Ukraine peace proposal.
Where did Donald Trump officials meet sanctioned Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev?
At the end of October in Miami, President Trump’s aides, including Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, met Russia’s RDIF head Kirill Dmitriev.
Mr Dmitriev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has played a central role in U.S.-Russia war discussions with Mr. Witkoff multiple times this year, a senior US official said. The administration issued a special waiver allowing his entry.
Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the US government blacklisted Mr Dmitriev and his fund, barring Americans from any dealings with them.
According to sources, the talks resulted in a 28-point plan to end the conflict. Its release by Axios surprised US officials and stirred confusion at diplomatic posts in Washington and across Europe.
The peace plan has sparked backlash from Ukraine and its allies for favoring Russian demands, with President Volodymyr Zelensky pledging not to compromise Ukraine’s interests.
The proposal requires Ukraine to make significant concessions and runs counter to President Trump’s recent hardline stance against Russia, including energy sector sanctions.
It remains unclear if Mr Dmitriev arrived in Miami with specific Russian demands or if they influenced the peace plan. Two sources confirmed Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also met with Witkoff to review the plan.
An insider said Mr Witkoff briefed Mr Umerov on the plan during his visit, which the US first routed through Turkey before formally presenting it in Kyiv on Thursday.
According to Mr Umerov, his role was “technical,” and he denied engaging in substantive talks on the plan with US officials. Mr Dmitriev and Ukraine’s Washington embassy did not immediately comment.
How did US lawmakers respond to the draft Ukraine peace proposal?
Many senior officials at the State Department and National Security Council were left uninformed. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg, who is involved in Ukraine peace talks and plans to step down in January, was also excluded from the Miami talks led by Witkoff and Dmitriev.
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said,
“Secretary Rubio has been closely involved throughout the entire process of developing a plan to end the war in Ukraine. Any insinuation otherwise is completely false. That includes speaking with both sides of this conflict – many times – to facilitate the…exchange of ideas to establish a durable peace.”
Another US official added,
“There was no coordination, no one at State had seen this, not Rubio.”
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said,
“This so-called ‘peace plan’ has real problems, and I am highly skeptical it will achieve peace. Ukraine should not be forced to give up its lands to one of the world’s most flagrant war criminals in Vladimir Putin.”
Experts also slammed the proposed Ukraine peace plan.
Dara Massicot of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, stated,
“Putin said today the plan he saw is a ‘basis’ for a future agreement — likely a signal they plan on asking for inclusions and revisions on top of what is already a disadvantageous proposal for Kyiv. One week seems ambitious for resolution.”
How has Dmitriev used RDIF to influence US-Russia relations?
Kirill Dmitriev has used his position at RDIF to engage Western governments and businesses, despite US sanctions. The CIA declined to comment on concerns within the intelligence community.
In the first President Trump administration, Mr. Dmitriev established links with the president’s team to reset US-Russia relations. A 2017 meeting with Trump ally Erik Prince was detailed in Mueller’s 2019 DOJ report on Trump-Russia ties.
According to the report, Mr. Dmitriev met separately with a Kushner associate to draft a plan to improve US-Russia relations. Mueller’s team found no evidence that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
During Mr Trump’s first term, RDIF collaborated with Jared Kushner. During the pandemic, they coordinated ventilator deliveries from RDIF to the US., raising concerns at the Treasury Department over potential sanctions violations.
The Russian aide also met with U.S. Representative Anna Luna to discuss boosting trade ties between the US and Russia. Her office did not respond to requests for comment.
What did Volodymyr Zelensky say about Donald Trump’s peace plan?
Volodymyr Zelensky warned that President Trump’s peace plan could jeopardize U.S. military support for Ukraine.
He called this
“one of the most challenging moments in our history,”
describing it as a choice between a loss of dignity or a key ally.
Mr Zelensky added,
“I will fight 24/7 to ensure that at least two points in the plan are not overlooked – the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians.”
Donald Trump said Ukraine has until Thursday to accept the peace plan, calling the timeline “appropriate.”
What did Sir Ed Davey say about Trump’s peace plan for Ukraine?
The Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, called the Trump administration’s peace plan a “historic betrayal” and urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to seek European allies against it.
He added,
“Ukraine is on the brink of an historic betrayal by Trump to Putin. Keir Starmer must bring our European allies together to back Zelensky, starting by seizing frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.”
What is Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace plan?
Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace plan includes:
- Ukraine cedes Donbas and Crimea; parts of Donetsk become a demilitarized zone.
- Ukrainian Armed Forces must be capped at 600,000 troops.
- Kyiv must renounce NATO and enshrine neutrality; NATO won’t admit or station troops in Ukraine.
- The US and allies promise a military response if Russia invades again.
- Sanctions on Russia lifted gradually; frozen assets partly fund Ukraine’s reconstruction; Russia invited back to the G8.
- Immediate ceasefire; elections within 100 days; U.S.-led Peace Council monitors implementation.
