U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025, aiming to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine. This significant meeting follows reports of secret negotiations between the U.S. and Russia that could lead to a controversial peace plan involving substantial concessions by Ukraine.
On Thursday, senior U.S. military officials arrived in Ukraine on a fact-finding mission to engage with Ukrainian leaders about potential strategies to resolve the conflict with Russia. This visit comes after media outlets, including Axios and the Financial Times, revealed that Washington and Moscow have been involved in clandestine discussions regarding a 28-point peace proposal, which does not include direct input from Kyiv.
The proposed plan reportedly includes contentious conditions, such as Ukraine surrendering parts of its eastern Donbas region to Russia, forgoing certain military capabilities, and significantly reducing its armed forces by as much as 50%. One intriguing detail mentioned in The Telegraph indicated that while Russia could gain effective control of the Donbas region, Ukraine would retain legal ownership, with Russia potentially paying rent for the territory. However, CNBC has not been able to confirm the accuracy of these claims.
In a statement to Reuters, a high-ranking Ukrainian official indicated that Kyiv had received “signals” about U.S. proposals aimed at ending the war but noted that Ukraine had not played a role in crafting the proposals.
The Kremlin has dismissed reports of new developments regarding peace proposals. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated there have been no changes since President Putin’s meeting with President Trump and remained tight-lipped about the Axios report.
On the U.S. side, the White House has been cautious in confirming the details of the 28-point peace plan, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that discussions are ongoing. He emphasized that achieving lasting peace in Ukraine necessitates a candid exchange of serious ideas from both involved parties. Rubio highlighted the importance of difficult but necessary concessions from either side to ultimately foster a durable resolution to the conflict.
As the world watches closely, the potential for dialogue and negotiation offers a glimmer of hope for a peaceful resolution to one of the most challenging conflicts in recent history.