US Working ‘Quietly’ on Russia–Ukraine Peace Plan: White House

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration has been working with both Russia and Ukraine over the past month to develop a peace plan aimed at ending the conflict in Eastern Europe, the White House confirmed on Nov. 20 following media reports of a leaked proposal.

Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been working on a peace plan “quietly” for the past month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a news briefing.

“They’ve been engaging with both sides, Russia and Ukraine equally, to understand what these countries would commit to in order to see a lasting and durable peace,” she said.

In recent days, leaked media reports suggested that the plan involved territory concessions from Ukraine in exchange for security guarantees.

“Your understanding is wrong,” Leavitt told a reporter when asked whether the plan was not demanding much concession from Moscow.

“You’ve read reporting from one side of the war,” she said, noting that President Donald Trump and his team are having good conversations with both sides.

She said Witkoff and Rubio met with their Ukrainian counterparts last week.

“I’m not going to litigate the details of this plan, as it’s ongoing and it’s in flux,” she said. “But the president supports this plan. It’s a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine. And we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides.”

U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Nov. 20, Leavitt confirmed.

“He was very optimistic following that meeting,” she said of Zelenskyy, who wrote on X that he appreciated Trump’s efforts to restore peace in Europe.

“Our teams—of Ukraine and the United States—will work on the provisions of the plan to end the war,” the Ukrainian leader said. “We are ready for constructive, honest, and swift work.”

On Oct. 22, the U.S. Treasury Department announced additional sanctions on Russia targeting the country’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil.

The sanctions followed a stalemate in Trump’s cease-fire efforts between Russia and Ukraine. After multiple meetings between U.S. officials and leaders from the warring countries failed to secure peace, Trump canceled a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary on Oct. 21, saying that it would be “a waste of time.”

Sanctions are reducing Russian revenues by lowering oil prices and are expected to decrease the volume of Russian oil sold over the long term, according to an initial market reaction report shared with The Epoch Times by the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Sanctions Economic Analysis Division.

“[Trump] has grown increasingly frustrated with both sides of this war, Russia and Ukraine alike, for their refusal to commit to a peace agreement,” Leavitt said.

“I know there’s a lot of criticism out there and a lot of doubters, but I would just remind you of the historic success that this president and his team accomplished in the Middle East. We believe that it is possible with Russia and Ukraine.”