In October 2025, President Donald Trump instructed his national security team to develop a strategy aimed at concluding the conflict in Ukraine, drawing parallels to a recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Following this directive, U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner began drafting a 28-point peace framework intended to address the four-year war in Ukraine. This initiative has reportedly been influenced by input from individuals close to the Kremlin, leading to tensions among the U.S., Ukraine, and European allies regarding the plan's alignment with humanitarian and geopolitical interests.

A U.S. official has confirmed that a Ukrainian delegation reached an agreement with the United States on the terms of a potential peace deal. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll conducted secret talks with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to advance the peace process, following earlier discussions in Geneva. The U.S. official noted that only minor details remain to be finalized, indicating a renewed U.S. initiative to facilitate peace amidst ongoing conflict.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Tolbert, a U.S. Army spokesman, expressed optimism about the progress of the talks, which are being coordinated with the White House and other U.S. agencies. While neither Ukraine nor Russia has officially confirmed their delegations' presence in Abu Dhabi, sources indicate that Ukraine has agreed to a revised 19-point peace plan during the Geneva talks, which omits provisions regarding amnesty for wartime actions and restrictions on the future size of Ukraine's military.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that further work is needed on the revised plan. Following the Geneva talks, Russian officials stated they had not received updates on the discussions or the revisions made. The U.S. delegation in Geneva included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Army Secretary Driscoll, with Driscoll traveling to Abu Dhabi for further discussions with Russian representatives.

In a separate development, Witkoff engaged in a phone conversation with Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing potential peace initiatives for Ukraine. Witkoff suggested that achieving peace would likely require Russia to gain control of the Donetsk region, potentially involving a land exchange. He emphasized that land concessions were essential for a peace deal and encouraged a hopeful dialogue to facilitate the process.

The controversial 28-point proposal would require Ukraine to cede the entire Donetsk region to Russia, establishing these territories as a demilitarized buffer zone recognized internationally as Russian. While President Putin has indicated that he views the U.S. proposal as a potential basis for a final settlement, Ukrainian officials have firmly rejected any acknowledgment of Russian control over occupied territories or limitations on their military capabilities.

As negotiations continue, the complexities surrounding the peace talks highlight the challenges of reconciling territorial disputes with the urgent need for humanitarian considerations in a conflict that has persisted for nearly four years.