(Kyiv, November 18) US media reports that the Trump administration is in secret consultations with Russia to draft a new plan to end the war in Ukraine, and US and Russian special envoys have already engaged in in-depth discussions.
Axios, a US news website, reported on Tuesday (November 18), citing US and Russian officials, that Washington is secretly negotiating a 28-point peace plan with Moscow, inspired by Trump's previous 20-point Gaza peace proposal.
The new plan mainly covers four areas: the Ukrainian peace process, security guarantees, the European security system, and a framework for future US-Russia-Ukraine relations. The White House has begun informing European and Ukrainian parties of the plan.
US officials revealed that US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Witkov, who also oversees the Russia-Ukraine issue, is leading the drafting of the plan, and he has held in-depth consultations with Russian Special Envoy Dmitriev.
Dmitriev is optimistic about the success of the agreement because it differs from previous plans. "We feel that the Russian position has truly been heard," he said. He hopes to complete the relevant written documents before the next meeting between the Russian and US leaders.
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He also stated that the basic idea of the new plan is based on the consensus reached by the Russian and US leaders in Alaska in August, proposing a solution that "both resolves the conflict in Ukraine, repairs US-Russian relations, and addresses Russia's security concerns."
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump dispatched Army Secretary Driesko and two four-star Army generals to Kyiv on Wednesday (19th) to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky and other government officials, and to consult with high-ranking representatives of the Ukrainian military and industry. This move aims to restart Russia-Ukraine peace talks, and Driesko is expected to meet with Russian officials afterwards.
Driesko is a civilian official, and it is rare for him to lead a delegation. The report points out that the White House chose him to participate in the negotiations partly because it hopes Russia will be more accepting of a military mediator, and also because it is frustrated by the fact that previous efforts have yielded little result.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with Putin regarding the stalemate in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Washington also approved the sale of over $100 million (approximately S$130 million) worth of Patriot missile defense system upgrades and maintenance projects to Ukraine on Tuesday.
Last month, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine needed 25 more Patriot missile defense systems to counter escalating Russian attacks. He had just concluded a visit to Spain and was en route to Turkey on Wednesday, hoping to push for renewed US involvement in peace efforts.
Spain announced a new round of military aid worth €615 million (approximately S$900 million) to Ukraine to help Kyiv defend against a Russian invasion. Meanwhile, Poland, another staunch ally of Kyiv in Europe, conducted anti-drone training exercises on the Polish-Ukrainian border, practicing the use of new US-made systems to counter Russian threats.
