Red carpet in Anchorage, Kremlin talking points in the peace plan: how Russia's terms became the US position

People and organizations

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Steve Witkoff, Volodymyr Zelensky, Marco Rubio, Government of Russia, Government of Ukraine, NATO, European Union

Places

United States, Russia, Ukraine, Europe

Evidence label

Reporting — Original reporting by an identified news organization that we opened and dated. Investigative findings are attributed to the outlet, not asserted as adjudicated fact. More

What happened

On August 15, 2025, Trump welcomed Vladimir Putin to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage with a red carpet, a flyover and a ride in the presidential limousine, the first visit by a Russian president to US soil in a decade [1][2]. After nearly three hours of talks there was no deal and no ceasefire, and Trump signaled he would not impose the new sanctions he had threatened [1]. The summit did produce one shift: Trump dropped his demand for an immediate ceasefire in favor of pursuing a comprehensive settlement, which had been Putin's preference [2].

Three months later, a 28-point US peace plan surfaced that NBC News reported was developed by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff with Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund [3]. It asked Ukraine to cede all of Donetsk, including territory Russia had never captured, to cap its army at 600,000 troops and to renounce NATO membership, while Russia would be reintegrated into the global economy and invited back into the G8 [3][4]. Trump gave Ukraine until Thanksgiving to respond and said Ukraine's leadership had shown "zero gratitude" [4].

On November 26, Bloomberg published transcripts of recorded calls. On October 14, Witkoff told Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov to congratulate Trump on the Gaza deal, suggested a Trump-Putin call before Zelensky's White House visit, and said: "We know what it's going to take to get a peace deal: Donetsk and maybe a land swap" [5]. On October 29, Ushakov and Dmitriev discussed drafting a Russian paper to pass to Washington "informally," with Dmitriev saying the American version might differ but he would do "the maximum" [5][6].

Why it matters

The plan's core terms matched the demands Putin had set out for years: all of Donetsk and Luhansk, recognition of Crimea, no NATO for Ukraine and limits on Ukraine's army [2]. Nine days before Witkoff's first recorded call, European leaders and Ukraine had issued a joint statement insisting the current line of contact should be the starting point and that "international borders must not be changed by force" [7]. The plan ignored that. Zelensky said it left Ukraine choosing between losing its dignity and losing a key partner [3]. Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Armed Services Committee, said the plan had "real problems" [3].

The Anchorage summit also set the stage. Putin received the honors of a state visit while Russia continued to hold roughly 20 percent of Ukraine, and he left without agreeing to stop the bombing [2][1].

The evidence

• Reuters' live coverage recorded the red carpet, the limousine ride, the length of the talks and Trump's line, "there's no deal until there's a deal," plus Putin's parting "next time in Moscow" [1].
• Brookings noted the absence of a ceasefire and that Trump had shifted toward Putin's preferred sequencing of a comprehensive deal first [2].
• NBC News published the 28-point plan's key provisions and the identities of its drafters [3].
• The Kyiv Independent reported Dmitriev's visit to Miami on October 24-26, the November 27 deadline and the European counterproposal [4].
• The Bloomberg transcripts, as reported by the AP and Meduza, document the content and dates of the Witkoff-Ushakov and Ushakov-Dmitriev calls [5][6]. Ushakov later said Witkoff had suggested terms to Russia, and that recordings would not be a "surprise" given the parties' dialogue [6].
• European leaders' October 21 joint statement set out the position that the plan contradicted [7].

Response and counterpoints

The White House called Witkoff's calls "standard practice" and praised his skill; Rubio said the plan was "authored by the U.S." with input from both sides [5]. Trump said the plan was not his final offer and that he was "quite pleased" with progress in talks [4]. Supporters of the approach argue that a settlement had to begin from Russia's position because Russia was advancing on the ground, and Brookings notes that Russia's advance came at an estimated cost of around 1,000 Russian casualties a day [2].

What remains uncertain

Reporters did not obtain the full written plan at first; NBC and the Kyiv Independent described its provisions from officials and other outlets [3][4]. Bloomberg did not identify how it obtained the recordings, and the Kremlin would not comment on their authenticity [6]. The 600,000 cap, the Donetsk withdrawal and the amnesty provisions were in the draft; whether any later revision changed them is covered in the follow-on story on the 2026 Donbas pressure campaign.

Money and method

The casualty figure of about 1,000 Russians per day is an estimate cited by Brookings, not an official count [2]. The territorial share of about 20 percent is drawn from reporting at the time of the summit [2].

Sources cited

1. [1]
   Trump, Putin fail to reach Ukraine deal at Alaska summit — Reuters, 2025-08-15.

   supports · Live updates (summit on August 15, 2025 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson; Putin greeted on red carpet, rode in Trump's limousine; nearly three hours of talks; no deal; Trump: 'there's no deal until there's a deal'; Trump signaled no new sanctions; Putin's 'next time in Moscow' remark) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-alaska-01
2. [2]
   Beyond the Alaska summit — Brookings Institution, 2025-08-19.

   supports · Sections on the summit outcome and Putin's demands (first Putin visit to US soil in a decade; no ceasefire; Trump dropped his ceasefire demand in favor of a comprehensive settlement; Putin's demands include all of Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea, no NATO membership, limits on Ukraine's army; Russia controls about 20 percent of Ukraine; Russian per-day losses ~1,000 by some estimates) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-alaska-02
3. [3]
   Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine would require Kyiv to give up land and arms — NBC News, 2025-11-21.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-6 (28-point plan developed by Witkoff with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev; Ukraine to cede all of Donetsk, cap army at 600,000, forgo NATO; Russia reintegrated into global economy and G8); paragraphs 7-12 (Zelensky says plan creates choice between losing dignity or losing a key partner; Sen. Wicker: plan has 'real problems'; Trump set Thanksgiving deadline) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-alaska-03
4. [4]
   Trump 'quite pleased' with Ukraine peace talks as Europe reportedly issues counterproposal — The Kyiv Independent, 2025-11-23.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-6 (European counterproposal; Trump says Ukraine's leadership has expressed 'zero gratitude'; Ukraine given until November 27 to respond; Trump says plan is 'not my final offer'); paragraphs 8-12 (plan would hand Donetsk to Russia, bar NATO, cap army at 600,000; Dmitriev visited Miami October 24-26; Rubio said plan was authored by the US with Russian input) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-alaska-04
5. [5]
   Steve Witkoff coached a Putin aide on how Russian leader should pitch Trump on Ukraine peace plan, report reveals — PBS NewsHour / Associated Press, 2025-11-26.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-6 (Bloomberg transcript of October 14, 2025 call: Witkoff told Ushakov to congratulate Trump on Gaza, suggested a Trump-Putin call before Zelensky's visit, said 'We know what it's going to take to get a peace deal: Donetsk and maybe a land swap'); paragraphs 7-10 (October 29 Ushakov-Dmitriev call about drafting a Russian paper 'informally'; Dmitriev 'then as it will'; White House: 'standard practice' and Witkoff 'skilled'; Rubio: plan 'authored by the U.S.') · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-alaska-05
6. [6]
   Leaked recordings show Witkoff coached Kremlin advisers on how to approach Trump over Ukraine — Meduza, 2025-11-26.

   supports · Paragraphs 1-4 (Bloomberg reporting on recordings of October 14 and October 29 calls; Witkoff advised a Trump-Putin call before Zelensky's visit and said he would present a 20-point peace plan 'like we did in Gaza'; Dmitriev said the Russian version might not be adopted but he would do 'the maximum'); paragraph 5 (Ushakov says Witkoff had suggested to Russia the terms of peace); paragraph 6 (Kremlin told Interfax on November 26 it could not comment) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-alaska-06
7. [7]
   European leaders issue statement backing Trump's Ukraine ceasefire position — Reuters, 2025-10-21.

   context · Paragraphs 1-4 (Joint statement of October 21, 2025 by leaders of Ukraine, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, EU: current line of contact should be the starting point; 'international borders must not be changed by force'); paragraphs 7-9 (Putin had demanded Ukraine hand over Donetsk; Trump-Putin Budapest summit shelved; Russia had told Washington its position was unchanged) · checked 2026-10-26 · source N-alaska-07