US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that the contentious peace proposal presented to Ukraine was crafted by the United States, following criticism from a fellow Republican figure who described it as a “Russian wish list.” The 28-point plan aimed at resolving the Kremlin’s actions in Ukraine caused concern in Kyiv and across Europe after being leaked earlier in the week.
Alarm persisted on Saturday as a group of American legislators disputed that the document accurately reflected the US stance. NBC reported that Republican Senator Mike Rounds asserted during a security conference in Canada that the US government was not accountable for the leaked version of the proposal.
Rounds emphasized that the plan was not a US recommendation or peace initiative but rather a leaked proposal that had been received and shared as an intermediary effort. He further stated that Rubio had clarified this position during a phone call with bipartisan politicians at the conference.
In response to Rounds’ claims, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott denounced the account of the phone call as “blatantly false.” Pigott took to Twitter to reiterate that the peace plan was indeed authored by the United States with input from both Russian and Ukrainian sources.
Rubio also addressed the situation on social media, confirming that the 28-point plan was developed by the US and presented as a robust framework for ongoing negotiations. He clarified that while the proposal incorporated input from the Russian side, it also considered feedback from Ukraine.
The confusion surrounding the draft peace agreement coincides with imminent discussions on Ukraine at the G20 summit in South Africa, where international leaders, excluding Donald Trump, are expected to address disagreements with parts of the US President’s peace plan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed concerns about the plan, stating that his country might face a challenging decision between defending its sovereignty and maintaining crucial US support.