Senators Say Rubio Called Trump Ukraine Peace Plan Russia...

By Adeola Adeosun

Weekend Night Editor

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Three U.S. senators said Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them President Donald Trump's Ukraine peace plan is a Russian "wish list" and not the administration's actual proposal.

Independent Maine Sen. Angus King, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota made the claim during the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada.

A State Department spokesperson flatly denied their account, calling it "blatantly false," according to the Associated Press.

Why It Matters

The comments come as the Trump administration pressures Ukraine to accept the framework of the peace deal within the next week, with warnings that key military and intelligence support could be curtailed if Kyiv resists, according to Reuters.

The dispute highlights deep divisions over Trump's 28-point peace proposal for Ukraine, which was crafted by the Trump administration and the Kremlin without Ukrainian involvement. The plan acquiesces to many Russian demands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected, including giving up significant territory in eastern Ukraine and limiting Ukraine's military size.

With Trump wanting Ukraine to sign on to the basic terms by next Thursday, the controversy over what Rubio actually told senators could complicate already tense negotiations as Kyiv's battlefield position grows increasingly strained.

What To Know

The senators said Rubio reached out to some of them while traveling to Geneva for talks on the plan. According to King, Rubio characterized the proposal as "not the administration's plan" but a "wish list of the Russians." Rounds added that "it looked more like it was written in Russian to begin with," and said the administration "was not responsible for this release in its current form" but wants to "utilize it as a starting point."

However, Tommy Pigott, a State Department spokesperson, directly contradicted the senators' account. "As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians," Pigott wrote on X.

The proposed peace plan aims to end the war by granting Moscow control over parts of eastern Ukraine, including Donbas, while offering security guarantees to Kyiv and Europe. The draft includes NATO nonexpansion and economic incentives for Russia, such as a return to global markets. Critics, including Ukrainian officials and advocacy groups, have denounced the plan as "capitulation."

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met Zelenskyy in Kyiv on November 20 to discuss potential steps toward a peace agreement, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirming the discussions. According to Reuters, sources familiar with the talks said Washington is pushing for an "aggressive timeline" for signing a document between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the proposal late Friday, saying it "could form the basis of a final peace settlement" if the U.S. can get Ukraine and its European allies to agree. Zelenskyy did not reject the plan outright but insisted on fair treatment while pledging to "work calmly" with Washington in what he called "truly one of the most difficult moments in our history."

What People Are Saying

Sen. Angus King said during a panel discussion at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada: "It rewards aggression. This is pure and simple. There's no ethical, legal, moral, political justification for Russia claiming eastern Ukraine."

Sen. Mike Rounds told the Associated Press: "This administration was not responsible for this release in its current form. They want to utilize it as a starting point."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday: "It's a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine and we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides and we're working very hard to get it done."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X Friday: "We are working to ensure that Ukraine’s national interests are taken into account at every level of our relations with partners. Right now, there are meetings, calls, and work on the points practically every hour—provisions that can change a lot. It is important that the outcome be a dignified peace."

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What Happens Next?

Rubio is expected to attend a meeting in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the proposal as part of a U.S. delegation, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to publicly discuss the American participants before the meeting and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.

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