A senior administration official confirmed to NBC News.The president's approval came after weeks of intensive development by his top foreign policy team, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner. The plan was crafted with input from Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian officials.Trump's decision to greenlight the comprehensive framework signals his administration's commitment to brokering a resolution to the nearly four-year war. "The plan focuses on giving both sides security guarantees to secure a lasting peace," the senior official said. "It includes things Ukraine wants and needs to have a durable peace."The president's approval coincides with a strategic U.S. Army delegation visit to Kyiv, led by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. A U.S. official described the mission as part of a White House plan to "restart peace negotiations," indicating Trump's direct involvement in the diplomatic push.Secretary of State Rubio, who helped develop the Trump-approved plan, emphasized the administration's approach on social media Wednesday: "Ending a complex and deadly war such as the one in Ukraine requires an extensive exchange of serious and realistic ideas. And achieving a durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions."While Trump has authorized the framework, specific details remain confidential as the plan still requires formal presentation to Ukrainian leadership. The timing of the president's approval appears calculated to leverage ongoing military discussions between American and Ukrainian officials.However, the Kremlin has downplayed reports of the peace initiative. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated there were "no such plans" for Russia to meet with the visiting U.S. delegation, suggesting Moscow remains skeptical of American diplomatic overtures despite Trump's personal involvement.Ukrainian sources revealed that Kyiv was not consulted during the plan's development, only receiving broad outlines without detailed briefings. Ukrainian officials view the timing of Trump's approval as potentially problematic, coinciding with corruption scandals affecting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government.Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, expressed surprise at the president's decision. "I don't know anything about it," Graham told NBC News after speaking with Trump Tuesday evening. "But I will say this: I hope there's no plan out there — no plan will work unless [Russian President Vladimir] Putin believes that we're serious about continuing to provide higher end military aid to Ukraine."Trump's approval comes amid escalating violence, with Russian forces launching devastating overnight attacks Wednesday that killed at least 25 people, including three children. The assault involved over 470 drones and 48 missiles targeting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.The Russian Defense Ministry justified the strikes as retaliation for "Ukraine's terrorist attacks on civilian facilities," while continuing to target Ukraine's energy sector in what appears to be a winter campaign to weaken Ukrainian resolve.President Zelenskyy condemned the attacks and urged international allies to increase pressure on Russia. "Every brazen attack against ordinary life shows that the pressure on Russia is insufficient," he posted on social media.A White House official emphasized Trump's personal commitment to ending the bloodshed: "The president 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."Trump's approval of the peace plan represents his most concrete diplomatic initiative since taking office, though previous efforts led by his envoys have faced criticism from Ukraine and NATO allies for appearing to favor Russian positions. Russia continues demanding severe restrictions on Ukrainian armed forces and prohibition of NATO membership as conditions for any agreement.On November 19, Axios reported that the White House is quietly working with Moscow on a comprehensive framework to end the war in Ukraine, drawing inspiration from the recent Gaza ceasefire deal.The author of the Resurgam Telegram channel noted that the leaked details of a purported 28-point peace plan raise suspicions about the motives behind the disclosure and the credibility of sources involved in the negotiations.