Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that the United States drafted a proposed plan to end the Ukraine war, which is widely seen as favorable to Russia.
It comes after a group of senators said Rubio had told them that the draft, which one described as a Russian “wish list,” did not reflect Washington’s position.
Rubio later distanced himself from those claims, saying the plan was “written by the United States” and “based on input” from both Russia and Ukraine.
His remarks came as he flew to Geneva, Switzerland, for talks with Ukrainian and European security officials about the plan, which U.S. President Donald Trump has called for kyiv to quickly accept.
Ukraine’s allies in Europe have rejected important provisions of the draft, which has not been made public but whose details have been widely leaked.
It includes Ukraine agreeing to withdraw troops from eastern areas that Russia has been unable to take by force and limiting the size of its armed forces.
On Saturday, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds said Rubio had told a group of lawmakers that the draft plan was not U.S. policy.
Speaking at the Halifax Security Forum, he said: “What [Rubio] “He told us this was not the American proposal.”
Rounds said he had been assured that the plan was presented to Steve Witkoff, who acts as Trump’s diplomatic envoy abroad, by “someone… representing Russia.” The senator continued: “It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan.”
Shortly after, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Rounds’ account of his conversation with Rubio was “blatantly false.”
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Rubio then posted on social media, saying: “The peace proposal was written by the United States. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and current input from Ukraine.”
On Saturday, Trump – who has made reaching a deal to end the conflict a central goal of his foreign policy during his second term – said the plan did not represent a “final offer” for Ukraine, having previously said that President Volodymyr Zelensky “will have to” approve it.
When details of the 28-point plan first emerged, Zelensky warned his country was facing “one of the most difficult moments in our history” because of pressure from the United States to accept it, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said it could form the “basis” of a deal.
Trump previously gave Ukraine until Thursday to approve the proposal, although he said that deadline could be extended if talks move forward.
Both Rubio and Witkoff will attend the Geneva meeting on Sunday along with security officials from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, as well as Ukraine.
Ukraine’s allies have already publicly rejected the plan, saying in a joint statement issued at the G20 summit in South Africa that it would “leave Ukraine vulnerable to attack.”
He said the plan had elements “essential for a just and lasting peace” but would “require additional work,” citing concerns about border changes and limits on Ukraine’s military.
The declaration was signed by the leaders of Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway. Among the signatories were also two senior EU officials.
Speaking at the meeting in Johannesburg, French President Emmanuel Macron said the plan “cannot simply be an American proposal,” adding that any agreement must also guarantee the security of “all Europeans.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that “we are still very far from achieving a good result for everyone.”
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke to both Zelensky and Trump on Saturday. No. 10 said he briefed the US president on European talks on the plan.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after which Ukraine became heavily dependent on American-made weapons.
In its current form, the plan would see Ukrainian troops withdraw from the part of the eastern Donetsk region they currently control, and from de facto Russian control of Donetsk, as well as the neighboring Luhansk region and the southern Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
The plan also includes freezing the borders of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of southern Ukraine along the current battle lines. Both regions are partially occupied by Russia.
kyiv would receive “reliable security guarantees,” the plan says, although no details have been given. The document says it is “expected” that Russia will not invade its neighbors and that NATO will not expand further.
On Saturday, Zelensky announced that his chief of office, Andriy Yermak, would lead Ukraine’s negotiating team for future talks on a peace deal, including any that may involve Russia.
“Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and exactly what must be done to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion, another attack on Ukraine,” the president said in a video statement posted on social media.
