U.S. senators say Rubio denied that Ukraine-Russia peace plan originated from U.S.

US senators critical of President Trump’s approach to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine said on Saturday they had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told them that the peace plan Mr Trump is pushing kyiv to accept is a “wish list” from the Russians and not the US plan itself.

Rubio rejected these claims on Saturday evening, writing in a social media post that “the peace proposal was written by the United States. It is presented as a solid framework for the ongoing negotiations. It is based on the contribution of the Russian side. But it is also based on the previous and current contribution of Ukraine.”

THE 28-point peace plan was developed by the Trump administration and the Kremlin without Ukraine’s participation. He acquiesces to many Russian demands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has flatly rejected it dozens of times, including giving up large swaths of territory. Mr. Trump says he wants Ukraine to agree to the plan by the end of next week.

Senators said Saturday that this would only reward Moscow for its aggression and send a message to other leaders who have threatened their neighbors.

Senators’ opposition to the project follows reviews other U.S. lawmakers, including some Republicans, none of whom have the power to block it. The senators, who spoke at an international conference on security in Canada, included a Democrat, an independent and a Republican who is not planning to run again next year.

“It rewards aggression. It’s pure and simple. There is no ethical, legal, moral or political justification for Russia to claim eastern Ukraine,” independent Maine Sen. Angus King said during a panel discussion at the International Security Forum in Halifax, Canada.

King, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, compared the proposal to the Munich Pact between British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler in 1938, a historic failed act of appeasement.

But King and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen later said they and their fellow senators at the forum had spoken with Rubio. King said Rubio told them the plan “was not the administration’s plan” but a “wish list from the Russians.”

“This is blatantly false,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on social media about King’s allegations. “As Secretary Rubio and the entire administration have consistently maintained, this plan was developed by the United States, with input from the Russians and Ukrainians.”

“As the administration has consistently maintained, this plan was written by the United States, with input from the Russians and Ukrainians,” a senior U.S. official told CBS News in a statement Saturday evening. “This plan has always been a hopeful start for continued negotiations, and eventually the signing of a final peace agreement once and for all.”

Shaheen said Rubio was on his way to Geneva for talks with the Europeans and Ukrainians. She said Rubio contacted her and Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota.

“It’s a Russian proposal,” Shaheen said. “…There are so many things about this plan that are completely unacceptable.”

South Dakota’s Rounds also said “this is not our peace plan.”

“This administration is not responsible for this release in its current form,” Rounds said. “They want to use it as a starting point.”

Rounds said that “at first it looked more like it was written in Russian.”

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said earlier that Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Republican leader, had not gone far enough in his criticism of the bill. McConnell said in a statement Friday that “if administration officials are more concerned with appeasing Putin than ensuring real peace, then the president should find new advisers.”

“We shouldn’t do anything that makes (Putin) feel like he’s won here. Honestly, I think what Mitch said falls short of what should be said,” Tillis said.

Tillis announced earlier this year that he would not run again shortly after clashing with the Trump administration over his spending and tax agenda.

Putin welcomed the proposal Friday evening, saying it “could form the basis of a final peace settlement” if the United States can convince Ukraine and its European allies.

Zelensky, in his speech, did not reject the plan outright, but insisted on fair treatment while pledging to “work calmly” with Washington and other partners in what he called “truly one of the most difficult moments in our history.”

Earlier Saturday, Sheehan, Tillis, King and Democratic Senators Peter Welch of Vermont and Chris Coons of Delaware – all of whom are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – issued a joint statement saying: “We share significant concerns about the details of the peace plan that has been released. However, we will not achieve this lasting peace by offering Putin concession after concession and fatally degrading Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. »

Since its 17th year, approximately 300 people have gathered each year at the Halifax International Security Forum, held at the Westin Hotel in Halifax. The forum attracts military officials, U.S. senators, diplomats and academics, but this year the Trump administration suspended the participation of U.S. defense officials in events hosted by think tanks, including the Halifax International Security Forum.

A large number of U.S. senators made the trip this year in part because of strained relations between Canada and the United States. Mr. Trump has alienated America’s neighbor with his trade war and his insistence that Canada become the 51st US state. Many Canadians now refuse to travel to the United States, and border states, like Shaheen’s New Hampshire, are seeing a dramatic decline in tourism.

“There is real concern about this tension. That’s one of the reasons why there is such a large delegation here,” Shaheen said. “I will continue to oppose what the president is doing on tariffs and his comments because they are not only damaging to Canada and our relationship, but I think they are damaging globally. They demonstrate a lack of respect for sovereign nations.”