Witkoff to meet Putin as US sends delegations to Ukraine, Russia in 'hopes of finalizing' peace plan
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Washington aims to finalize a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Nov. 25.
"In the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians," Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
On Nov. 24, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll traveled to Abu Dhabi for negotiations with Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov and a Russian delegation, Driscoll's spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Tolbert, confirmed to Axios.
The talks in Abu Dhabi follow negotiations among U.S., Ukrainian, and European representatives in Geneva, Switzerland.
"The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement," Trump said.
The initial proposal faced controversy prior to talks in Geneva from lawmakers in the U.S., European leaders, and Ukraine, who have said the draft rewards Russia for its war.
Trump said he is ready to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin soon, but only when a peace plan is finalized or in its final stages.
"I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles," he said.
Zelensky confirmed in his nightly address on Nov. 24 that the original plan had been reduced from its initial 28 points, but did not disclose the new total.
"As of now, after Geneva, there are fewer points — no longer 28 — and many of the right elements have been taken into account in this framework," he said.
Sources cited by the Financial Times said the peace plan was cut to 19 points, without specifying which items were removed.
U.S. officials have said they would like to reach a swift conclusion to the peace talks in an effort to stop Russia's war against Ukraine.
Trump previously said that Ukraine must make a decision by Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., which falls on Nov. 27.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Nov. 23 said that the initially imposed deadline of Nov. 27 could be extended by several days, adding that he feels "optimistic" that a consensus will be reached "in a very reasonable period of time, very soon."
Witkoff previously met Putin in April amid an earlier push by the Trump administration to broker a peace deal.
