Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at a conference in 2017 (EPA)

EA on France 24 and TVP World: Putin’s “Window” to Conquer Ukraine

Wednesday’s Coverage: Secret Trump-Kremlin Talks

UPDATE 1032 GMT:

Some analysts are reading US Secretary of State Rubio’s tweet (see Original Entry) as a sign that the US-Russia 28-point plan is a personal initiative of Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, amplified by Russia to bounce the Administration into acceptance of its maximalist demands on Ukraine.

The analysts note Rubio’s framing of “extensive exchange of serious and realistic ideas” and his caveat that “both sides” must “agree to difficult but necessary concessions”.

That interpretation is bolstered by a social media blunder by Witkoff. Posting what he thought was a direct message, he indicated that his negotiating partner, Vladimir Putin’s senior economic advisor Kirill Dmitriev, leaked to Axios the initial report of the plan.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was also involved in the drafting of the plan.

UPDATE 0812 GMT:

Ukrainian drones have attacked the Ryazan oil refinery in western Russia for the second time in a week, the third time this autumn, and the fifth time since August 2.

Russian and Ukrainian monitoring channels reported the attack. Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov acknowledged, “Falling debris caused a fire at a plant. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties, and material damage is being assessed.”

The refinery is one of the largest in Russia, supplied fuel to the Moscow region. Owned by Rosneft, it processed 13.1 million tons of crude oil in 2024, accounting for 5% of Russia’s total refining capacity.

After an attack last Saturday, the refinery suspended operation because of the loss of its main refining unit.

In the Kursk region in western Russia on Ukraine’s border, more than 16,000 people are without power after a strike on an electrical substation.

UPDATE 0748 GMT:

Suffering massive losses because of reduced supplies to Europe, Russian State energy giant Gazprom is preparing to sell its major petrochemical complex to a friend of Vladimir Putin.

Sources told the Russian outlet Izvestia that Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, located in the Bashkortostan Republic in eastern Europe, will be sold to the Roskhim holding company by the end of the year. One said the deal will be worth 250 billion to 270 billion rubles ($3.1 billion to $3.35 billion).

Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat produces more than 150 types of hydrocarbon products, including gasoline, diesel and petroleum fuels, polyethylenes, styrene, urea, and ammonia.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Gazprom has lost its largest gas customers in Europe. From January to October 2025, the export monopoly pumped 14.7 billion cubic meters of gas to European customers, a 45% decrease compared to the same period last year. The volume is the lowest since the early 1970s, when the USSR negotiated its first gas supply contract with Austria.

Gazprom’s net loss for 2024 exceeded 1 trillion rubles ($12.4 billion), the worst result in the last 25 years of operation. For January–September 2025, the loss amounted to 170.3 billion ($2.1 billion).

UPDATE 0743 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 106 of 136 drones launched by Russia overnight, while 29 struck 16 locations.

UPDATE 0735 GMT:

In a further sign of a Trump Administration embrace of Russia’s demands for Ukraine’s capitulation, the White House has announced the departure of the envoy to Kyiv, Keith Kellogg.

The Administration said Kellogg will step down from his role in January. Officials declared that the retired general told associates the date would be a “natural end” to his term. One insisted Kellogg never intended to stay in the Administration for very long.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The Trump Administration and the Kremlin have drafted a 28-point plan for Ukraine’s capitulation to Russia’s 46-month full-scale invasion.

The plan has been crafted amid discussions between Donald Trump’s envoy, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, and Vladimir Putin’s senior economic advisor Kiril Dmitriev.

“People with knowledge” said Ukraine would give up the 22% of the Donetsk region which it holds — a Kremlin demand favored by Witkoff but rejected by Trump last month.

The surrender will occur despite warnings to Trump by Ukraine’s European partners that the handover of the fortified area would “open the highway to Kyiv” in any future Russian offensive.

Further aiding any Russian assault, Ukraine will cut the size of its armed forces by half and abandon key categories of weaponry. US military assistance will be rolled back, and Ukraine will not get any long-range weapons. No foreign troops will be allowed on Ukrainian soil.

The sources did not mention any security guarantee to Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The plan also demands the recognition of Russian as an official state language in Ukraine. The local branch of the Russian Orthodox Church will be given formal status.

A source summarized that the proposal amounted to Ukraine giving up its sovereignty. The initiative was a Russian attempt to “play” the Trump Administration, eager to “show progress” on a deal.

One official noted that the plan iss “heavily tilted towards Russia”. Another called it “very comfortable for Putin”.

A “Russian person familiar with the matter” said, “It’s not a plan but a mix of real, practical proposals with good intentions. They acknowledged, “Part of it is absolutely unacceptable for the Ukrainians.”

An Ultimatum to Ukraine?

Witkoff presented the plan this week to Ukraine’s Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, in Miami. The envoy made clear he wanted President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the terms.

Officials in Kyiv said the plan, closely aligned with the Kremlin’s maximalist demands, is a non-starter without significant changes.

The real estate developer was scheduled to meet Zelensky in Turkey on Wednesday. However, without explanation, he pulled out of the encounter.

The Trump Administration is sending Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and two four-star generals to Kyiv to meet Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials.

Senior US officials said the Pentagon delegation will meet with Russian officials at a later date. They did not explain why Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, is not included.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media:

Russia Murders 26+ Civilians, Injures 142+ Across Ukraine

The existence of the plan was revealed as Russia murdered at least 26 civilians, including three children, and injured 73 in Ternopil in western Ukraine. Missile and drone attacks wounded another 69 elsewhere in the country.

Meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Zelensky posted:

Since the beginning of this year, we in Ukraine have supported every decisive step and the leadership of [#Trump], every strong and fair proposal aimed at ending this war. And only President Trump and the United States have sufficient power to make this war come to an end.

Zelensky noted Erdoğan’s proposal of formats for negotiations, and emphasized that this “is important for us”.

But the most important factor for stopping the bloodshed and achieving lasting peace is that we work in close coordination with all partners, and that American leadership remains effective, strong, and brings us closer to a peace that endures and ensures security for the people.