Kushner and Witkoff’s Peace Plan for Ukraine: A Complex Background

A peace plan initially consisting of 28 points for Ukraine was created by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, former President Trump’s son-in-law, following a clandestine meeting with Kremlin insiders in Miami. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that he became aware of the “full extent” of this plan only after it was leaked.

This original plan, now trimmed to 19 points, asked Ukraine for considerable concessions, like ceding eastern territories, limiting its military size, and forgoing NATO membership, while requesting minimal concessions from Russia.

Witkoff and Kushner began drafting the proposal in October, prompted by Trump’s directive to find a way to resolve the ongoing conflict in Europe, particularly in the wake of recently brokering peace in Gaza. As reported, they engaged in a number of “secret meetings” with Kirill Dmitriev, an influential investor linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, during their time in Miami.

According to a U.S. official and another source familiar with the discussions, Dmitriev pushed for the inclusion of contentious points, particularly regarding NATO and military limitations for Ukraine, alongside calls for an economic agreement between the U.S. and Russia.

The Wall Street Journal noted that Witkoff, Kushner, and Dmitriev shared similar perspectives on the proposed plan. It was determined, after consultations with both U.S. and foreign officials as well as intelligence assessments, that Ukraine’s position was weaker than Russia’s, prompting a focus shift toward satisfying Russian interests.

The leaked plan, featuring terms more beneficial to Moscow, incited surprise and concern among supporters of Ukraine in Congress. Some U.S. officials insisted that it represented a “good-faith attempt” by Witkoff and Kushner to engage President Putin without fully sidelining Ukraine’s interests.

Witkoff and Kushner also conducted at least two calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to help shape the document, while Ukraine’s national security adviser, Rustem Umerov, frankly conveyed in Miami that the proposal appeared to favor Moscow over Kiev.

Most points of the plan were reportedly finalized prior to discussions between Ukrainian and Russian representatives.

Rubio, who traveled to Geneva to discuss concerns and revise the proposal after the leak, was intentionally kept in the dark about the plan’s complete details until November 18, when reports surfaced regarding the secret discussions to end the Ukraine conflict. He received a copy during a White House meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The most recent iteration of the peace proposal has been revised to 19 points, making it somewhat more acceptable for Ukraine. Previous controversial stipulations, like territorial concessions in the Donbas and abandonment of NATO aspirations, have been removed.

Rubio described the initial proposal as a “living document” that has “evolved” over time. Attempts to obtain comments from the White House and State Department were met with no immediate responses.