Wars can't last forever, but it sure looks like the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is going to drag on for a while yet. The whole thing has evolved into a sort of high-tech version of the Great War, with lines mostly stabilized - but with one major difference, that being that both sides are using long-range weapons from artillery to drones to hit deep into the other side's rear areas. Geography dictates that Ukraine is going to get the worst of a conflict like this, and that sure seems to be what's happening.
On Saturday, I reported on a supposed peace deal to end the Russo-Ukrainian War, a peace deal that was never going to be acceptable to Ukraine, and which turned out most of the European Community wasn't going to accept, either.
Read More: EU Allies Resist Trump's 28-Point Russia-Ukraine Peace Ultimatum at Summit
About that plan:
The plan worked out bilaterally between the USA and Russia calls for Ukraine to surrender quite a bit of territory, including all of the contested Donbass region, as well as requiring Ukraine to sharply pare back its military, as well as ceding any claims to Crimea, among other regions.
It was always a near-certainty that Ukraine wasn't going to buy that. Now it appears as though much of the European community won't buy it, either.
Now, American lawmakers are backing away from that plan, claiming they were told that it was a Russian, not an American, proposal.
U.S. lawmakers attempted Saturday to reverse days of confusion around a leaked peace plan for Ukraine, saying Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured them the document does not represent the Trump administration’s position.
Rubio called the bipartisan delegation to the Halifax International Security Forum on Saturday afternoon, they said, while en route to Geneva for talks with Ukrainian officials. He described the plan as a Russian proposal, they said, and not a U.S. initiative.
“He made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). “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.”’
In a post on his X account, Secretary of State Marco Rubio seems to be calling a different tune.
The peace proposal was authored by the U.S.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 23, 2025
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. https://t.co/JWbAQ04kcw
So which is it?
The current plan makes one wonder how much Ukrainian input was involved. It involves, among other things, Ukraine surrendering all the Donbass region, including the parts not currently under the Russian boot. It would require Ukraine to gut its military, leaving it open to any further Russian aggression. And it would require them to forever relinquish any claims to Crimea.
Ukraine's not going to buy that. Now, I've been saying and writing for some time that Ukraine will not come out of this thing intact. They've lost Crimea, and they're not getting it back. Russia will not surrender that lovely Black Sea port. The best they ever could have hoped for was a return to the status quo ante 2022, surrendering Crimea and having Russia withdraw back to pre-invasion territory. But it's looking more and more like they won't even get that much.
Talks are still going on.
Rubio, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff are meeting with Ukrainian advisers in Geneva on Sunday before engaging the Russians. European governments are rushing envoys of their own to influence the talks.
National security advisers from France, Germany and Italy may join, and leaders from 27 European Union states are preparing a counterproposal. Many have called the U.S. document a nonstarter.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), also at the forum, said the peace plan included elements Ukraine and U.S. allies would never accept, including restrictions on NATO adding new members and the size of Ukraine’s military.
“There is so much in that plan that is totally unacceptable,” she said. “If we’re going to have a real negotiation that is going to actually produce a peace deal for Ukraine and Russia.”
There is a lot in that plan that much of Europe will almost certainly find unacceptable. NATO nations are worried about Russian aggression. Poland, a NATO ally, has a long history with Russia that is, let's say, less than congenial, and they will almost certainly press for a better deal for Ukraine. Russia seems to have driven a big spike in the ground over any offer from NATO to Ukraine, and won't accept any deal that includes Ukraine joining the alliance, formally at least. Meanwhile, Ukraine will likely refuse any deal that requires it to gut its armed forces.
And Europe can't keep pouring money into this thing forever.
Talks are ongoing. We will watch this, as always, and update you as events warrant.
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