Conflicting reports on Ukraine peace deal details

Late last week, reports broke regarding details of a proposed peace plan between Ukraine and Russia that had been proposed by Trump.

The 28-point plan called for Ukraine to cede territories, and on the surface, it appeared that Ukraine was going to take a huge hit.

Reports then broke that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Republicans the details leaked were not the plan, but rather a “leaked” Russian “wish list.”

Heading to Geneva

On Sunday morning, Secretary Rubio arrived in Geneva to start working on the peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

He was armed with Trump’s 28-point peace plan, which has been the subject of several reports this weekend.

The plan has reportedly already been sent to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umarov in Kyiv, who made some adjustments, and it was next headed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his approval.

Trump had stated that this was likely the final offer that would be put on the table, and Ukraine’s president has already stated this is more or less about him swallowing his pride or risking losing a key partner in the United States.

Russian Wisk List

After the reports broke about the peace plan, Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) just about broke the internet, claiming that the plan leaked was actually a Russian wish list, and he said Rubio was the source.

Rounds stated, “[Rubio] made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives.”

Rounds continued, “It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan. It is a proposal that was received, and as an intermediary, we have made arrangements to share it — and we did not release it. It was leaked.”

He then took a shot at the plan, which was being heavily scrutinized by Republicans, stating that it “looked more like it was written in Russian to begin with.”

Reports Denied

It did not take long for the State Department to call Rounds a liar, with Rubio posting, “The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations … It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott then added,” As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians.”

Former national security adviser John Bolton was also critical of the plan, stating, “I think it’s selling out Ukraine,” adding that “Russia couldn’t have written a better treaty themselves.”

I am going to hold off my judgment on the plan until we see a final deal, as I would imagine there will be significant changes made if and when signatures finalize the deal. All I know is that I want this war over because I am sick of seeing our tax dollars fund it (and we are likely to get stuck with the majority of rebuilding costs).