The White House has been bullish about the burgeoning plan, with one senior White House official saying a framework for ending the conflict could be agreed to by all parties by the end of this month, and even “as soon as this week.” A second White House official said both sides will need to show flexibility.
Ukraine hasn’t commented publicly about the plan. Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Wednesday he is in “constant communication” with Trump’s team, including Witkoff, and would work with the U.S. to end the war “and secure a just and lasting peace.”
U.K. Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper noted that Putin has rebuffed all of Trump’s peace efforts so far and has instead “simply chosen to escalate the war.” This is why, she said, the European approach is to pressure Putin, through economic sanctions and support for Ukraine, to come back to the table for peace talks.
One U.K. diplomat indicated London had not been briefed on the proposals, despite national security adviser Jonathan Powell’s close relationship to Witkoff. A second British official sought to downplay how seriously the plan should be taken.
European and Ukrainian officials have for months been wary of Witkoff’s approach to the conflict.
Some have blamed his penchant for working alone for the failure of the administration’s peace efforts so far, with his refusal to consult allies leaving him at times uninformed or unprepared, as POLITICO has reported. They see his quiet consultations with Russia as an example of how he has been misled by Russia about the nature of the conflict and Putin’s true aims.