White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said Ukraine and Russia have been equally involved in peace deal negotiations, which have been “quietly” in progress for weeks.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been working with Russian and Ukrainian intermediaries for over a month, speaking with both parties “equally,” the press secretary asserted during a press conference on Thursday.
“They’ve been engaging with both sides, Russia and Ukraine equally, to understand what these countries would commit to in order to see a lasting and durable peace,” Leavitt said.
“The president supports this plan,” the press secretary continued. “It’s a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we believe it should be acceptable to both sides. And we are working hard to get it done.”
Leavitt warned, however, that President Donald Trump is “increasingly frustrated” with both sides of the conflict for their perceived “refusal to commit to a peace agreement.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office directly addressed the talks for the first time earlier on Thursday, breaking days of silence from Kyiv on whether Ukraine supports the White House’s current efforts.
“The President of Ukraine has officially received from the American side a draft plan that, according to the assessment of the American side, could activate diplomacy,” Zelensky’s office announced, noting that the president has “agreed to work on the points of the plan in such a way that it would lead to a worthy end to the war.”
“Ukraine has supported President Trump’s proposals since the beginning of this year to end the bloodshed,” the statement added. “We are ready even now to work constructively with the American side and our partners in Europe and the world so that the result is peace.”
Zelensky is expected to speak with Trump in the “coming days” to go over “existing diplomatic opportunities and the main points that are needed for peace.”
“Only President Trump and the United States have sufficient power to make this war come to an end,” the Ukrainian president affirmed on social media Wednesday.
Ukraine’s “bottom line” demands for diplomatic negotiations include a front-line freeze and security guarantees provided by the Coalition of the Willing, an alliance of European powers backing the Ukrainian war effort.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is the latest senior U.S. official to travel to Ukraine during the renewed talks.
UKRAINE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT US-PROPOSED PLAN FOR PEACE DESPITE TERRITORIAL CONCESSIONS
Driscoll arrived on Wednesday with other senior military leaders, including Gen. Randy George, the Army chief of staff. He said they will meet with senior Ukrainian government, military, and defense industry officials.
Ukrainian officials have described Driscoll’s introduction to peace talks as a “good sign” from the White House due to the secretary’s close relationships at the highest levels of both the military and politics.
