Donald Trump’s proposed 28‑point peace plan for Ukraine, drafted with Kremlin and White House advisers, has drawn criticism that it favors Russia and offers no real safeguards for Ukraine.
Background of the 28‑Point Plan
The proposal, reported to have been drafted by Russian and White House officials Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff, was intended as a secret peace initiative. The document focuses mainly on concessions from Ukraine to Russia, with its only demand of the Kremlin being assurances that Moscow will not attack Ukraine or NATO members.
Leak and Public Reaction
Independent Russian media noted that a year ago neither diplomat was involved in diplomacy. The 28‑point plan leaked to the press, raising doubts about its secrecy and underlying motives.
Expert Comment on the Leak
Andrzej Kohut, analyst at the Centre for Eastern Studies, described the leak as a “powerful commotion” and highlighted the roles of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Smith Witkoff. He observed that Rubio seemed to endorse the draft yet cautioned that the plan is “just a stage of the process, not the end.” Kohut also pointed out that Witkoff’s influence had waned after the Alaskan summit between the U.S. and Russian presidents, and that President Trump had publicly dismissed Witkoff’s knowledge of Russia and Putin.
Dr. Adam Eberhardt’s Critique
University of Warsaw researcher Adam Eberhardt argued that Western “security guarantees” for Ukraine in exchange for withdrawal from Donbas would not be accepted. He stressed that Ukraine’s only realistic security is its armed forces and the lines of control in Donbas. Eberhardt further claimed the plan offers a capitulation sweetened with guarantees Russia could later revoke, and warned that a peace settlement is unlikely unless one side suffers a decisive defeat—which Putin would reject.