The U.S. is secretly working with Russia on a new plan to end the war in Ukraine, according to an Axios report Tuesday, which says the Trump administration has been quietly negotiating a 28-point proposal behind the scenes.
The initiative — described by U.S. officials as inspired by President Donald Trump's recent success in pushing a 20-point peace deal in Gaza — has been developed in consultation with senior Russian officials, who told Axios they are "optimistic" about the effort.
It remains unclear how Ukraine or European governments will react to the still-unreleased proposal.
According to Axios, the 28-point framework is divided into four major areas:
- Peace terms for Ukraine
- Security guarantees
- Broader European security
- Future of U.S. relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
Axios noted the plan's treatment of the most explosive issue — territorial control in eastern Ukraine — remains uncertain. Russian forces have recently advanced but still hold far less than the Kremlin demands.
Axios reported that Trump's special envoy, businessman Steve Witkoff, is leading the drafting process. Witkoff has held extensive discussions with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund and a central figure in Moscow's Ukraine diplomacy.
Dmitriev told Axios he spent three days meeting with Witkoff and Trump advisers during an Oct. 24-26 trip to Miami, saying he believes the effort is gaining traction because "the Russian position is really being heard."
Witkoff was expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Turkey this week but postponed the trip, Axios reported.
However, Witkoff did meet Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov in Miami earlier this week, a Ukrainian official confirmed to Axios.
"We know the Americans are working on something," the Ukrainian official told the outlet.
A White House official told Axios that Trump "believes that there is a chance to end this senseless war if flexibility is shown."
Dmitriev told Axios the proposal is based on principles Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed during their August summit in Alaska.
He said the draft aims not just to end the conflict in Ukraine but to create a "broader framework" for restoring U.S.-Russia relations and addressing Moscow's long-standing security demands.
The goal, Axios reported, is to have a written plan ready before Trump and Putin's next meeting. A proposed summit in Budapest remains on hold.
Axios said European governments have begun receiving quiet briefings from the White House as the administration attempts to sell the plan to both Kyiv and its Western allies.
Dmitriev told Axios the U.S. is now explaining the "benefits" of the approach to Ukraine and European capitals, arguing that Russia's battlefield gains have given Moscow greater leverage.
A U.S. official told Axios that the White House believes "the timing is good" and that the plan will be adjusted based on feedback from Ukraine and European partners.
"But both parties need to be practical and realistic," the official said.
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