WSJ showed how Russians “helped” Trump create a “peace plan” for Ukraine

The American publication The Wall Street Journal published details of a 28-point plan developed by Donald Trump’s team to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The document elicited a tense reaction in almost all capitals because its content turned out to be far from neutral.

The initiative emerged in October. Trump instructed his advisors to prepare a model similar to the one used for negotiations on Gaza. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner got to work immediately after returning from the Middle East. They referred to the “successes of Israel’s contacts with Hamas,” assuring that the approach could be adapted for Ukraine.

However, Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin representative with direct access to Putin, quickly took on a key role. His close acquaintance with Kushner facilitated communication, and soon Dmitriev flew to Miami. Three days of discussions — and the outlines of the plan became much more favorable to Moscow than even the authors themselves expected.

The reaction from Washington and Europe was mixed. American officials claim that the attempt to “understand Putin’s position” was part of the process, but the inclusion of Dmitriev’s demands to exclude Ukraine from NATO and reduce its army in the document caused serious shock. In addition, new economic ties between the US and Russia were discussed — including in the fields of energy and artificial intelligence.

When Witkoff and Kushner handed the project to NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov, he directly stated that the document was too advantageous for the Kremlin. He advised bringing the details to a discussion with Zelensky to provide a clear assessment. On November 16, the President of Ukraine reviewed the plan, thanked for the efforts, but immediately pointed out the need for radical adjustments.

The situation began to develop more rapidly when on November 18, a copy of the document reached Secretary of State Marco Rubio. European officials began to call Washington en masse, fearing that the US was considering an agreement in which Kyiv would be in a deliberately weak position.

A meeting later took place in Geneva between Rubio, Witkoff, and Kushner with representatives of Ukraine and the EU. There, some controversial provisions were removed, and a revised version was agreed upon that does not jeopardize Kyiv’s key interests. The final version is still under discussion, but the outlines have already been changed.

This story shows how complex diplomatic maneuvers are when Moscow tries to integrate into the process through its intermediaries. The choice between a quick agreement and maintaining principles becomes a real political test — and it is precisely such moments that require a sober assessment, as regularly emphasized by analytical materials from NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.