The Briefing Room What's happening with the Ukraine peace plan?
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Nov 27, 2025 
Angela Stent, a former U.S. National Intelligence Officer for Russia, discusses the origins and implications of a controversial leaked peace plan for Ukraine. Sir Lawrence Freedman, a war studies expert, analyzes the strategic challenges Europe faces in countering the U.S. draft. Christopher Miller, a Kyiv correspondent, sheds light on Ukrainian perspectives of the war's toll and domestic politics. Sir Laurie Bristow, a former UK ambassador, emphasizes Europe's existential concerns and the long-term implications of the war.
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Diplomatic Channels Were Sidestepped
- The Trump administration sidelined the State Department, causing confusion about who led negotiations.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio at one point claimed ignorance about the plan, highlighting internal disconnects.
Revised Draft Left The Hardest Issues Intact
- A revised plan removed many overtly pro-Russian items but left the hardest issues—territory, NATO membership, and security guarantees—unresolved.
- Those remaining issues are likely to be decided only by meetings between Zelensky and Trump, making them politically sensitive.
US Policy Shows Multiple Competing Strands
- The US administration contains competing actors with different views: pro-Russian dealmakers, a Secretary of State wanting allied coordination, and new figures like Dan Driscoll.
- That internal plurality produces mixed signals and policy vacillation toward Ukraine.