Trump Sends Envoys To Putin And Ukrainians After ‘Fine-Tuning’ Peace Plan To End War

US President Donald Trump has announced that two envoys will travel to Russia and Ukraine for separate negotiations, saying his plan to end the conflict has now been "fine-tuned." Trump added that he may personally meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but only after additional progress is made.

According to Trump, real estate executive Steve Witkoff has been tasked with meeting President Putin in Moscow, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian officials.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared, "Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the War between Russia and Ukraine (A War that would have NEVER started if I were President!). Last month, 25,000 soldiers died. The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement. In the hopes of finalizing this Peace Plan, I have directed my Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians."

Possible meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy

Trump further stated that he could meet both Putin and Zelenskyy at a later stage, but only when the deal to end the war is either completed or close to finalisation.

"I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles," he wrote.

"I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter, and let's all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"

The proposal Trump unveiled last week has drawn global attention. The plan, which reduces the original 28-point draft to 19 points, has been seen as heavily favouring Russia, prompting Zelenskyy to quickly engage with US negotiators. European leaders, concerned about their security and initially excluded from Trump's framework, have been working to ensure their perspectives are integrated into the discussions.

Escalation on the ground

Even as diplomatic channels remained active, fighting intensified. Russia launched overnight airstrikes on Kyiv, killing at least seven people and causing damage to residential buildings and energy infrastructure. Ukraine retaliated with a large drone strike on Russia's southern Krasnodar region, described by local officials as "one of the longest and most massive" attacks. Three people were killed and several homes were damaged. Six people were injured, according to regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev.

The Russian Defence Ministry reported that its air defences intercepted 249 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions and occupied Crimea.

Progress and challenges ahead

Zelenskyy said on Monday that "the list of necessary steps to end the war can become workable" and noted he would address remaining "sensitive" topics with Trump.

Rustem Umerov, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, posted on X that Zelenskyy aims to finalise a deal with Trump "at the earliest suitable date in November."

Russian officials have commented cautiously. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow remains in contact with the US over the peace effort. "We expect them to provide us with a version they consider an interim one in terms of completing the phase of coordinating this text with the Europeans and the Ukrainians," Lavrov said.

European leaders have meanwhile warned that the path to peace will be lengthy.