WASHINGTON ( WNAM MONITORING ): Special envoy Steve Witkoff has worked on a proposal to end the war in Ukraine for a month and received input from Ukraine and Russia as he drafted it, a senior US official told on Thursday.
“Special Envoy Witkoff has been quietly working on this plan for a month, receiving input from both the Ukrainians and the Russians on what terms are acceptable to them to end the war,” the official, who addressed the matter on condition of anonymity, said. “Both sides will have to make concessions, not just Ukraine.” US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the proposal, and supports it, the official added.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt added that Trump “has been clear” that he wants to see the war brought to an end, adding that he “has grown frustrated with both sides for their refusal to commit to a peace agreement.”
“Nevertheless, the President and his team never give up, and the United States has been working on a detailed and acceptable plan for both sides to stop the killing and create a durable, lasting peace,” she added.
Ukraine earlier Thursday acknowledged formally receiving the “draft plan.” Ukraine’s Presidential Office said Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined the fundamental principles that are important for Kyiv and agreed to work on the points of the plan following the result of a meeting held earlier Thursday.
The office went on to say that Kyiv has supported Trump’s proposals to end the over three-and-a-half-year Russia-Ukraine war and is ready to work with Washington and partners in Europe and around the world.
The statement added that Zelenskyy is expected to discuss the “available diplomatic opportunities” and the main points that are “needed for peace” with Trump “in the coming days.”
Leavitt later confirmed that talks over the proposal remain ongoing, but declined to get into the specifics of the plan.
“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,” she told reporters at the White house.
Leavitt added that Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll emerged “optimistic” from a closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy earlier Thursday.
