Legislators critical of President Donald Trump’s approach to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine said Saturday that they had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told them that the peace plan Trump is urging Kyiv to accept is a Russian “wish list” rather than a genuine proposal reflecting Washington’s position. The State Department spokesperson denied their account of events, calling it “absolutely false.” Rubio himself then took the unprecedented step of suggesting online that the senators were mistaken, even though they claimed he was the source of the information. The Secretary of State reinforced the assertion that Washington is responsible for the proposal, which many found excessively accommodating to Moscow from the outset. The entire affair created a convoluted—and potentially awkward—turn for the Trump administration-backed peace plan, which already had shaky prospects. The widely circulated 28-point peace plan, reportedly backed by the US, was, according to the White House, the result of a month of work by Rubio and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, incorporating input from both Ukrainians and Russians. The plan concedes many Russian demands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has categorically rejected multiple times, including the surrender of significant territories. Trump claims he wants Ukraine to accept the plan by the end of next week. “This administration is not responsible for this disclosure in its current form,” said Republican Mike Rounds of South Dakota at a security conference in Canada. “They want to use it as a starting point.” Rounds added that “it looks more like it was written in Russian to begin with.” The senators stated they spoke with Rubio after he contacted several of them en route to Geneva for negotiations on the plan. Independent Senator Angus King of Maine said Rubio informed them the plan “is not the administration’s plan,” but rather the “Russians’ wish list.” The bipartisan group of senators, seasoned lawmakers and among the most active on foreign policy, spoke together at a press conference, relaying Rubio’s message from the phone call. Rubio, serving as both National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, was expected to attend a meeting in Geneva on Sunday to discuss Washington’s proposal as part of the American delegation, according to a US official not authorized to publicly discuss attendees before the meeting began and speaking on condition of anonymity. “The peace proposal was developed by the US. It is being offered as a solid basis for ongoing negotiations,” Rubio wrote on X. “It is based on information received from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing information from Ukraine,” Rubio added. Tommy Piggott, a State Department representative, called the senators’ account “absolutely false.” A senior Trump administration official, insisting on anonymity to detail internal discussions, noted Saturday evening that the White House had consistently maintained that the plan was developed by the US but included input from Russians and Ukrainians. The official stated the administration had always viewed the plan as a useful starting point for continued negotiations aimed at forging a long-term peace agreement. Earlier on Saturday, the senators had said the plan would only reward Moscow for its aggression and send a message to other leaders threatening their neighbors. “It rewards aggression. It’s simple and plain. There is no ethical, legal, moral, or political justification for Russia to claim eastern Ukraine,” King said during a panel discussion at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. Putin welcomed the proposal late Friday, stating it “could serve as a basis for a final peace settlement” if the US can secure the agreement of Ukraine and its European allies. Zelenskyy, in his address, did not entirely reject the plan but insisted on fair treatment, promising to “work calmly” with Washington and other partners in what he called “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history.” In its 17th year, the Halifax International Security Forum gathers around 300 people annually at the Westin Hotel in Halifax. The forum attracts military officials, US senators, diplomats, and academics, but this year the Trump administration suspended the participation of US Department of Defense officials in think tank events, including the Halifax forum. A significant number of US senators made the trip this year partly due to strained bilateral relations between Canada and the US; Trump has alienated his northern neighbor with his trade war and insistence that Canada become the 51st US state. Many Canadians are now refusing to travel to the US, and border states like New Hampshire, where Shaheen represents interests, are seeing a sharp decline in tourism.
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