The process of formulating the Ukraine peace plan has once again sparked controversy. Bloomberg revealed that U.S. special envoy Witko and Russian President's foreign affairs advisor Ushakov had frequently discussed the details of the plan and how to promote it to Trump. Bloomberg also published a purported strategy call record between Ushakov and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. These leaked contents have raised concerns in Washington, as they believe Witko and the government were too accommodating to Moscow in the negotiations. Trump, however, claimed that the relevant calls were merely "routine negotiations." The initial 28-point U.S. draft was heavily influenced by a "non-document" submitted by Russia to Washington last October. This text contained long-standing Russian demands, including territorial cessions in the east that Ukraine had previously clearly rejected. Sources said Secretary of State Rubio had spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on this matter, but there is no consensus within the U.S. government on why the text was so reliant on Russian input. Multiple U.S. officials have judged that these Russian demands are "unlikely to be accepted" by Ukraine. That led to the later 19-point peace framework. Russia has confirmed that Witko is planning to visit Minsk next week to discuss the final agreement, but has not announced specific dates. Ushakov told Russian media that the Kremlin has not yet "formally received" the U.S. proposal, but has obtained a copy through informal channels. European Commission President von der Leyen welcomed Trump-led negotiations, saying that after days of discussions, "a starting point has emerged."
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