Trump Endorses Controversial Peace Plan for Ukraine Conflict

In a recent development, a senior White House official disclosed to CBS News that President Trump has given his nod of approval to a complex 28-point strategy designed to halt the conflict initiated by Russia nearly four years ago.

However, there seems to be no sign that Ukraine is on board with this proposal. Observers believe the plan would essentially freeze the current conflict zones, leaving Russian forces in significant control over parts of eastern Ukraine. NBC originally unveiled Trump's backing of this blueprint.

During an Axios interview earlier this week, Kirill Dmitriev, who serves as an advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, mentioned that he and Trump's representative Steve Witkoff conceived this peace proposal after a direct meeting last month in Miami.

Despite the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration last October, Dmitriev made the trip to the United States to convene with Witkoff. During their discussions, they aimed to advance the proposal designed to quell the ongoing conflict, as per a senior U.S. official's explanation.

A White House official informed CBS White House correspondent Nancy Cordes that Witkoff had been diligently crafting this proposal for about a month. His efforts included consultations with both Russian and Ukrainian parties to incorporate their respective feedback.

The peace agenda reportedly demands Ukraine's relinquishment of some territories and military assets, which includes a reduction in its armed forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, however, underscored on Wednesday that any resolution to the conflict should not incentivize war.

Speaking to Cordes on the same day, Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, refrained from making any official proclamations regarding the peace plan. Nevertheless, he asserted that it remains a top foreign policy objective for the president.

As these diplomatic negotiations persisted, marked by a visit to Kyiv this week by U.S. officials, the conflict intensified with Russian missile attacks.

Ukrainian authorities were engaged in search operations following a tragic missile assault on an apartment complex in Ternopil city, claiming the lives of at least 26 people, including minors.

The deadly incident happened as U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll arrived in Ukraine, coinciding with the approval of a $100 million funding package aimed at enhancing Ukraine’s Patriot missile defense systems.