US Peace Plan for Ukraine Influenced by Kremlin “Non-Paper,” Sparking Alarm in Washington

The US-backed 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine, unveiled last week, reportedly was shaped in part by a Kremlin-penned article, which was submitted to Washington in October, as per three US officials who offered some details to Axios on condition of anonymity.

Russian officials had reportedly passed it to senior members of the Trump administration in mid-October, shortly after US President Donald Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington.

The document, referred to as a "non-paper" - an unofficial diplomatic note –outlined conditions for ending the devastating war from both sides.

While its exact role in the formulation of the US proposal is unknown, it's pro-Moscow language was all the more apparent, as it backed key Russian demands. Such demands included a proposal to Kyiv to cede control over some of its territories, currently held by Moscow, inviting strong controversy.

This has led to strong scepticism among lawmakers in Washington, with many seeing the plan as more of a list of Russian positions rather than a serious proposal. However, the US has urged Ukraine to consider it, and even privately pledged its security guarantee, should there be any Russian military aggression.

The plan itself was drafted partly during a meeting in Miami between Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of a Russian sovereign wealth fund, behind closed doors, with few officials having knowledge of what actually transpired.

Officials in both the White House, and the US State Department have declined to comment, though the Trump administration officials have praised it, and expressed optimism, citing Trump's recent comments on social media.

"In the hopes of finalising this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet President Putin in Moscow, and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians," Trump earlier wrote on Truth Social.

Why the administration drew so heavily on a Russian document remains unclear, as neither side has made any comment.

Witkoff had even offered communication advice to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, with both men referring to a "20-point plan" as early as Oct 14, before the scope expanded through subsequent conversations.

Asked why the call had been leaked, Ushakov told Russian state TV: "To hinder, probably. It is unlikely this was done to improve relations."

After receiving the paper, Rubio held a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which the contents were discussed. Speaking later in Geneva, Rubio said only that the US had received "numerous written non-papers and things of this nature".

The original US proposal, which surprised officials in Washington, Kyiv and European capitals, triggered urgent diplomacy across multiple continents. Nine of the original 28 points have since been removed following talks between senior US and Ukrainian officials, ABC News reported.

In follow-up discussions, a high-level US delegation agreed to remove or revise the most pro-Russian elements during meetings in Geneva involving European and Ukrainian officials.

Driscoll, since then, has met a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi, while Ukrainian officials were also in the UAE for consultations with the US team, a US official confirmed.

Kyiv said that it supports the overall structure of the revised framework, but stressed that the most sensitive issues — particularly territorial concessions — must be resolved directly between Zelensky and Trump.