The meeting took place Friday at a Florida villa belonging to Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy. Alongside Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner, representatives of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France and Germany attended, The Washington Post reported, citing a US official familiar with the talks.
The plan has four components. The first is Ukraine's reconstruction: the World Bank and the US asset manager BlackRock intend to create a mechanism to finance the rebuilding of destroyed areas, payments to the families of killed and wounded service members, and the recovery of the economy.
The second block is security guarantees. According to the US official, Ukraine would receive an assurance of armed protection from the United States and European countries in the event of a new Russian attack, equivalent to Article 5 of the NATO charter on collective defense. Russia, in turn, would conclude agreements with European countries addressing its own security concerns, though the content of those arrangements has not been disclosed.
The third component is economic. It envisions the integration of Russia, Ukraine and Europe on the basis of an energy agreement, including a pipeline to transport Russian oil and gas to Europe with profits divided between Moscow and Kyiv. Which pipeline is meant was not specified. According to the US official, such a scheme could sharply reduce Europe's energy costs. The agreement would also set out the procedure for lifting economic sanctions on Russia.
The fourth and most difficult block is territorial. It proposes a ceasefire along the current front line while preserving Russian control over occupied Ukrainian territories. For Moscow, this means it would not receive the remaining part of the Donbas that it failed to capture. Reuters, citing a source close to the Kremlin, reported that Vladimir Putin will return to the negotiating table only once he gets those "remaining 11% of the Donbas, which he can present domestically as a victory."
Separately, Kushner and Witkoff asked Kyiv to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries, The Washington Post reported. According to Reuters, an agreement between Trump and Putin permitting the export of Russian diesel fuel is being considered by the American side as an incentive for Moscow to return to talks. At the meeting, Kushner noted that Putin is not currently showing readiness for negotiations.
Vladimir Zelensky insists that any de-escalation steps must be mutual, and demanded that Russia also stop striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. A source for The New York Times familiar with Trump's position said the US president, in announcing an "energy truce," meant refineries exclusively. European leaders, according to The Washington Post, were outraged by the diesel deal — all the more so because the demand that Kyiv stop striking Russian refineries gives Ukraine nothing in return. At the same time, the newspaper says, the Europeans intend to continue the diplomatic process under Witkoff's and Kushner's leadership.
Witkoff and Kushner postponed a trip to Moscow to wait for clarity on whether such a proposal is possible. The Kremlin has so far not commented on the media reports.
Sources differ: The Washington Post, citing a US official, reported that the US and EU are moving toward a joint peace proposal that could be presented to Russia. Reuters, citing a source close to the Kremlin, reported that Putin will return to talks only after receiving the remaining part of the Donbas. A source for The New York Times, meanwhile, said Trump meant only refineries by an "energy truce," whereas Zelensky demanded a mutual halt to strikes on both sides' energy infrastructure.