Turn in Russia-Ukraine War? Trump: “Very Close to Reaching” Peace Deal – Only a Few Details Left
Reports say that on Tuesday local time (25th), U.S. President Trump stated that the peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia is “very close to being reached,” despite skepticism from European leaders.
That day, he said at the White House, “I think we’re very close to a deal. We’ll find the answer… I think we’re making progress.”
Later Tuesday afternoon, Trump posted on his social platform Truth Social that the 28-point new plan drafted by the U.S. has been “fine-tuned” and “only a few differences remain.”
As background, the 28-point new plan was secretly drafted by the White House recently and discussed with Russia, requiring Ukraine to withdraw from parts of Donetsk it currently controls, with several provisions previously rejected by Kyiv.
After the plan's contents were disclosed, European countries not involved in drafting expressed opposition. On the 23rd, representatives from the U.S., Ukraine, the EU, and the UK, France, and Germany held talks in Geneva, Switzerland.
That day, Trump also said he has instructed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian President Putin in Moscow, and U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to meet with Ukrainian counterparts.
Trump wrote: “I look forward to meeting soon with President Zelenskyy and President Putin, but only when the agreement to end this war is finally reached or in its final stages.”
Trump added, “I will be briefed on all progress along with Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Wells. I look forward to meeting soon with President Zelenskyy and President Putin, but only when the agreement to end this war is finally reached or in its final stages.”
Earlier Tuesday morning, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt wrote on X: “Over the past week, the U.S. has brought Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table and made tremendous progress on a peace agreement. There are still some tricky but not insurmountable detail issues to resolve, which will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S.”
A U.S. official said earlier on the 25th that Ukraine has in principle agreed to the U.S.-proposed peace plan, but some terms still need discussion. Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Umerov said the same day that the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations have reached consensus on the core terms of the peace plan discussed in Geneva recently.
Russian Stance
However, whether Russia will agree to the revised peace plan remains far from certain. Reports say the 28-point new plan has been reduced to 19 points. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said any agreement must reflect the understanding reached between Trump and Putin during their August meeting in Alaska.
Another report says Russian presidential press secretary Peskov responded on the 25th that Russia has not received the updated “19-point” peace plan. But it will soon be Russia's turn to specifically review the U.S.-mediated plan for Ukraine. He added that Russia is awaiting the U.S. to share the formal plan and remains open to the negotiation process, willing to achieve its goals through political and diplomatic means.
Peskov said that what Russia currently has is brief information on the U.S. plan, whose content largely aligns with the spirit of the U.S.-Russia leaders' meeting in Alaska. Various messages around the U.S. peace plan are chaotic, but Russia believes the U.S. proposal has substantive significance and can serve as a basis for negotiations.
Additionally, Russia is paying attention to reports of a U.S.-Russia meeting in Abu Dhabi, but there is no update available at present.
Finally, he pointed out that discussing a security framework without European participation is impossible, and European involvement will be needed at some stage.