The Kremlin insisted Friday that the U.S. has not disclosed the details of President Trump’s 28-point Ukraine peace plan with Russia but hoped that negotiations could begin soon.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian diplomats have been in contact with U.S. officials to discuss a general framework for a peace deal but that “nothing substantial” has yet been discussed.
“We are completely open — we maintain our openness to peace negotiations,” Mr. Peskov told reporters Friday.
The plan, which has not been made public, includes several controversial concessions for Ukraine, including giving up key territory partially controlled by the Russian military, severely reducing the size of its armed forces and abandoning its goal of joining NATO.
Washington has reportedly delivered a version of the 28-point plan to Ukrainian officials, who are currently reviewing the proposal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that he is reviewing the plan but has not acknowledged any details of the proposal.
Reporting earlier this week suggested that Mr. Zelenskyy’s top national security adviser, Rustem Umerov, had played a role in drafting the peace plan with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff during a series of meetings in the U.S. However, Mr. Umerov on Friday denied he played any role in approving the plan.
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“I provided no assessments or, even more so, approvals of any points. This is not within my authority and does not correspond to the procedure,” Mr. Umerov wrote in a Telegram post.
The confusion over the U.S.-backed peace deal comes as Russia makes crucial military gains in Ukraine. Russian forces have captured approximately 169 square miles across the massive front line over the past month, according to some independent assessments. Additionally, Russia has stepped up its aerial bombardment of Ukraine, specifically targeting its energy infrastructure.
The Kremlin also asserted Friday that at least 5,000 Ukrainian troops were trapped in the eastern part of the highly contested Kharkiv region.
Moscow’s recent successes on the battlefield should convince Kyiv that keeping up the fight is pointless, Mr. Peskov concluded on Friday, urging Mr. Zelenskyy to negotiate.
“The effective work of the Russian armed forces should convince Zelenskiy and his regime that it is better to negotiate and do so now. It’s better to do this right now, rather than later. His room for decision-making is shrinking as he loses territory during the offensive actions of the Russian armed forces,” Mr. Peskov told reporters.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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