US digital news outlet Axios has reported that US President Donald Trump's administration is secretly working with Russia on developing a new plan to end the war in Ukraine.

Source : Axios, citing American and Russian officials

Details : The US 28-point plan emerged following the success of Trump's efforts to reach a deal in Gaza. A senior Russian official told Axios he is optimistic about the plan. However, it remains unclear how Ukraine and its European partners will respond.

Axios, citing its sources, wrote that the 28 points are divided into four broad categories: peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, security in Europe and future US relations with Russia and Ukraine.

Quote : "It's unclear how the plan approaches contentious issues such as territorial control in eastern Ukraine – where Russian forces have been inching forward, but still control far less land than the Kremlin has demanded."

Details : Axios noted that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the drafting process and had discussed it in detail with Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev.

Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and an active participant in diplomatic talks on Ukraine, told Axios in an interview on Monday 17 November that he held three days of discussions with Witkoff and other members of Trump's team when he visited Miami from 24 to 26 October.

Meanwhile, Witkoff was due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday 19 November in Türkiye but postponed his trip, Ukrainian and American officials told Axios.

Witkoff discussed the plan with National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umierov during a meeting earlier this week in Miami, a Ukrainian official confirmed to Axios.

"We know the Americans are working on something," the Ukrainian official said.

"The president [Trump] has been clear that it is time to stop the killing and make a deal to end the war. President Trump believes that there is a chance to end this senseless war if flexibility is shown," a White House representative told Axios.

Dmitriev told Axios that the main idea was to take as a basis the principles agreed by Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August and prepare a proposal "to address the Ukraine conflict, but also how to restore US-Russia ties [and] address Russia's security concerns".

"It's actually a much broader framework, basically saying, 'How do we really bring, finally, lasting security to Europe, not just Ukraine'," he said.

According to Dmitriev, the aim is to prepare a written document on this topic before the next Trump-Putin meeting. Plans for a leaders' summit in Budapest remain in place.

He stressed that these efforts had nothing to do with the UK's initiative to develop a Gaza-style peace plan for Ukraine, which in his view has no chance of success because it does not take Russia's position into account.

The Russian envoy said the American side is now explaining the "benefits" of its current approach to Ukrainians and Europeans.

"It's happening with the background of Russia definitely having additional successes on the battlefield," he added.

Axios also reported that an American official confirmed the White House had begun informing European officials about the new plan, though this does not apply to Ukraine.

The official said the White House believes there is a real opportunity to bring Ukrainians and Europeans into the plan, adding that it will be adapted based on input from different sides.

"We think the timing is good for this plan now. But both parties need to be practical and realistic," the American official said.

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