On November 19, the US government began briefly notifying its European allies and the Kiev government of a new plan to end the conflict in Ukraine.
The plan is being built by the US based on direct consultations with Russia - a development that is considered noteworthy in the context of the war situation not showing positive changes on the ground.
The White House has held internal exchanges with policymakers in Europe and Ukraine to update the new proposal, a US official said. The official said the current time was appropriate for the parties to consider a more practical approach, while emphasizing that both Moscow and Kiev needed to show flexibility if they wanted to open up opportunities for negotiations.
The central figure in the plan's development was Mr. Steve Witkoff - US presidential special forces behind peacekeeping missions. He is said to have held many in-depth exchanges with Mr. Kirill Dmitriev - Director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), and is one of the figures participating in Russia's informal contact channels with the West.
Witkoff was originally scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey on November 19, but the trip was postponed. The temporary hold of the meeting with the Ukrainian leader while Washington continues to exchangate positively with Russia could make Kiev worried about the risk of being left out of key developments.
The plan that the US is preparing for is said to include four main pillars: restoring peace in Ukraine; establishing security mechanisms; reshaping the European security structure; and establishing the future of US, Russia and Ukraine relations. This is a more systematic framework than previous proposals, which were only in the idea stage.
A source from the White House said President Donald Trump believes the conflict could be resolved if all sides show goodwill. This information coincides with previous reports on a 28-point roadmap described as inspired by the Gaza security deal model that Washington has pursued.
The US's beginning to notify its European and Ukrainian allies shows that the plan has gone beyond the initial drafting stage to the international consultation stage.
Both Europe and Ukraine are expected to soon have to respond to the new diplomatic orientation from the US, which could create important changes in the regional strategic game.
