US Congressional colleagues listen as Sen. Angus King of Maine speaks at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, November 22, 2025

EA on Dublin NewsTalk and WION: The Trump-Kremlin Plan for Ukraine’s Capitulation

Saturday’s Coverage: Zelensky — “One of the Most Difficult Moments of Our History”

UPDATE 0826 GMT:

With Russia’s wartime economy running into trouble, the Kremlin is trying to blame the West for a forthcoming tax rise to spare Vladimir Putin from criticism.

Top officials, including domestic policy chief Sergey Kiriyenko, participated in at least one of the meetings in the run-up to Russia’s new budget law, introduced in late September.

The law passed its third reading on Thursday. It raises value added tax from 20% to 22% from January, breaking Putin’s pledge not to raise taxes before 2030.

One of the meetings was attended by members of the state-controlled media who were issued with a set of guidelines.

The outlets will declare that the measures are needed because the West is “not interested in a peaceful settlement” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Slogans include “Your money or your life?” and “Nothing matters more than security”.

Any mention of Putin in relation to VAT is to be avoided. “Positive” aspects of other tax changes, such as higher rates for gambling companies, should be emphasized.

UPDATE 0808 GMT:

Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, pushed aside as the Trump-Kremlin ultimatum was leaked to the media, has reappeared.

Kellogg was interviewed on Fox TV on Saturday. He defended the 28-point plan, declaring that it could be the basis of a settlement to end the Russian invasion.

Kellogg was excluded from the US delegation, led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, that went to Kyiv on Thursday. Driscoll threatened Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky with consequences if the ultimatum was not accepted by this Thursday.

UPDATE 0742 GMT:

Ukraine’s military reportedly struck the Shatura Thermal Power Plant in the Moscow region overnight.

Videos on social media show a large explosion and fire.

The plant is around 120 km (75 miles) east of Moscow.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The Trump-Kremlin ultimatum to Ukraine — demanding that Kyiv give up more territory to Russia’s invasion, halve its military, limit its military assistance from the West, and give up its resources for Trump profits — has been exposed as a Russian proposal.

The revelation came through US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who may be fighting a rearguard action against the 28-point plan from Trump’s envoy/real estate developer Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Vladimir Putin’s senior economic advisor Kirill Dmitriev.

Rubio briefed a US Congressional delegation at the Halifax Security Forum in Canada, who told the press of Russia’s responsibility.

Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said:

Secretary Rubio did make a phone call to us this afternoon. I think he made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives. It is not our recommendation, it is not our peace plan. It is a proposal that was received.

Rounds made clear that the points were not developed by Witkoff, Kushner, and Dmitriev. Instead, the plan “was given to Steve Witkoff“.

Sen. Angus King of Maine summarized, “The leaked 28-point plan, which, according to Secretary Rubio, is not the administration’s position, is essentially the wish list of the Russians.”

Rounds made clear that the Russians ensured the media found out about the proposal last week.

The revelation supported an apparent inadvertent admission of Witkoff just before the plan appeared on websites. He posted on social media, in what he thought was a direct message, that “K” — presumably Kirill Dmitriev — had leaked the proposal to Axios.

Rounds also responded to claims from unnamed US officials, made to Reuters, that the Trump Administration might cut off intelligence sharing and logistical support if Ukraine did not accept the ultimatum by this Thursday, the US Thanksgiving holiday.

“With regard to the discussion that there would be threats of items taken — information being withheld and so forth — Secretary Rubio did say that he was not aware of any of that.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire echoed, “There is nothing that we understand that the administration had said that they intend to cut off either the PURL program [US arms sales to NATO members for transfer to Ukraine] or intelligence sharing.”

Russian Plan Developed in Spring 2025

Further confusing the situation, a State Department spokesperson posted that the statements of the US legislators were “blatantly false“: “As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians.”

Rubio then issued his own denial:

But the investigative journalist Christo Grozev had already revealed that the ultimatum was developed by the Russians in the spring.

Grozev explained that the 28-point version is the same as the original, except for two omitted points.

The initial version proposed that US investors bail Russia out of a pending cash- and investment-strapped recession, “like in the 1990s”. Grozev explained, “This was meant as an inducement for Trump (whether as a legitimate US sweetener or as one for friends and family, that wasn’t explicit).”

The second omitted point was a new Russia-US alignment against China, draped in “a lot of ‘Christian alliance’ demagoguery”.

Grozev concluded, “I am absolutely certain that this is a Russian, not a jointly developed, proposal.”

A “source familiar with the matter” confirmed Rubio had no involvement in crafting of the plan. A “high-ranking US official” said the initiative is supported by Vice President J.D. Vance, but other top Americans officials have been excluded.

US-Ukraine Meeting on Sunday

A delegation with Witkoff, Rubio, and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will meet Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday. The Ukrainian group will be led by Presidential Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak and include Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Defense and Security Council.

Speaking to reporters, Donald Trump stepped back from the ultimatum to Ukraine while sneering that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will be abandoned if he does not eventually accept the Trump-Kremlin terms.

At the G20 summit in South Africa, leaders diplomatically said the US proposal “is a basis which will require additional work”.

The heads of key European countries as well as Canada and Japan said in a joint statement:

We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.

French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized, “We know that if there are no elements of deterrence, the Russians will come back and break their promises.”

He said any plan “requires broader consultation” and must ensure peace for Ukrainians and “security for all Europeans”.