He stated that his proposal to end the war in is not his final offer.
“The war has to end one way or another,” he told reporters, but said “no” when asked if that was his final proposal.
“Ukraine’s war with Russia should never have happened. If I were president, it would never have happened. We are trying to terminate him. One way or another we have to end it,” he said.
Asked by CNN what would happen if he didn’t accept the plan, Trump replied: “Then he can keep fighting as long as his little heart can,” alluding to the Ukrainian president’s predicament.
Members of Congress react
Members of the US Congress, Democrats and Republicans, express “significant concerns about the details of the plan” of Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
“We will not achieve this sustainable peace by fatally undermining Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. History has taught us that Putin understands nothing but force and will not honor any agreement unless it is secured through coercion,” three Democratic lawmakers, one independent senator and one Republican congressman said in their statement.
“We need to consult closely with our Ukrainian partners and our NATO partners about the path forward. We have to put real pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table.”
Republican Roger Wicker, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, also hit back at Trump’s proposals in a separate statement.
“The so-called peace plan presents real problems and I am very skeptical about its ability to establish peace. “Ukraine should not be forced to cede its territory to one of the world’s most outspoken war criminals, Vladimir Putin,” complains Roger Wicker.
“The size and composition of Ukraine’s armed forces is a dominant choice for its government and its people.”
Questions about the Trump plan
US officials and lawmakers are increasingly concerned about a meeting held last month by a Russian envoy under US sanctions to draw up a plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The meeting took place in Miami in late October and was attended by special envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), one of Russia’s largest sovereign wealth funds.
A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dmitriev has taken a central role in talks with the US on the war and has met several times this year with Witkov. The Trump administration issued a special waiver allowing him to enter the US, according to a senior US official who spoke to Reuters.
Dmitriev and his fund were blacklisted by the US government in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with sanctions effectively barring US citizens and companies from doing business with them.
Kirill Dmitriev and Steve Witkoff
The meeting led to the formulation of a 28-point plan to end the war, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The plan, made public earlier this week by Axios, took US government officials by surprise and caused confusion at embassies in Washington and European capitals.
It has also drawn criticism from Ukraine and its allies as it appears to strongly favor Russian interests. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed on Friday not to betray his country’s interests.
The document, which calls for significant concessions from Ukraine, appears to run counter to the Trump administration’s tougher stance toward Moscow of late, including sanctions on its energy sector.
It is unclear whether Dmitriev went to the Miami meeting with specific Russian demands or whether they were incorporated into the peace plan.
Two people with knowledge of the meeting said Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, was also in Miami earlier this week to discuss the plan with Witkov.
A source familiar with the matter said that Witkov briefed Umerov on the plan during his visit and that the US passed it on to Ukraine through the Turkish government on Wednesday, before presenting it directly to Kiev on Thursday.
Umerov has described his role as “technical” and denied discussing the substance of the plan with US officials.
“The plan seeks the best possible win-win scenario”
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said any peace plan “must provide security and deterrence guarantees for Ukraine, Europe and Russia” and offer economic incentives to both Ukraine and Russia.
“This plan was formulated to reflect the realities of the situation and to seek the best possible win-win scenario, where both sides gain more than they give up,” he said.
Support in Ukraine
As Ukraine and Europe try to coordinate their response to Donald Trump’s plan, the leaders of eight northern European and Baltic countries say they have spoken with Volodymyr Zelensky, restated their support for Kiev and pledged to continue arms supplies to Ukraine while bolstering Europe’s defenses to deter further Russian aggression.
In a joint statement, the leaders of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden said: “Russia has so far not committed itself to a ceasefire or any steps leading to peace.”
“Solutions that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and will bring Ukraine and Europe greater security and stability have our full support,” said the statement in which the eight countries advocated strengthening sanctions and taking broader economic measures against Moscow as the war continues.
