Secret Miami Meeting Between Trump Allies and Sanctioned Russian Envoy Sparks Concern Over New Ukraine Peace Proposal

Senior U.S. officials and lawmakers are expressing concern over a meeting last month in Miami, where representatives of the Trump administration met with Kirill Dmitriev—Russia’s sanctioned envoy—to draft a proposal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

The late-October meeting brought together special envoy Steve Witkoff, former presidential adviser Jared Kushner, and Dmitriev, who heads the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), one of Russia’s largest sovereign wealth funds.

Dmitriev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has played a prominent role in Russia’s dialogue with the U.S. regarding the war. He has met Witkoff several times this year. A senior U.S. official told Reuters that the Trump administration issued a special waiver to allow Dmitriev entry into the United States, despite sanctions imposed on him and RDIF in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions prohibit American citizens and companies from engaging in business with him.

Two individuals familiar with the Miami meeting said it resulted in a 28-point plan for ending the war—first reported this week by Axios. The proposal surprised many U.S. officials across various agencies and caused confusion in Washington and European diplomatic circles.

Ukrainians and their allies criticized the plan as being far too favorable toward Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed on Friday that he would never betray Ukraine’s interests.

The document, which calls for significant concessions from Ukraine, appears to contradict the Trump administration’s recent tough stance toward Moscow, including new sanctions on its energy sector.

It remains unclear whether Dmitriev brought specific Russian demands to the Miami talks and whether they were incorporated into the proposal.

Two sources said Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was also in Miami earlier this week to discuss the plan with Witkoff. One source said Witkoff briefed Umerov on the proposal during his visit, and that the United States sent the plan to Ukraine via the Turkish government on Wednesday, before presenting it directly in Kyiv on Thursday.

Umerov described his involvement as “technical” and denied detailed discussions with U.S. officials on the proposal.

Dmitriev and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said any peace plan must include “security guarantees and deterrence provisions for Ukraine, Europe, and Russia,” and must offer economic benefits to both sides.
She added: “This plan was designed to reflect the realities of the situation and identify a win-win scenario that gives both parties more than they expect to give up.”

Trump said Friday that he hopes Zelenskiy will sign the plan by Thanksgiving. Reuters previously reported that the U.S. warned Ukraine that military aid could be withheld if it refuses.

Some U.S. officials caught off guard

Two people familiar with the plan said senior leaders at the State Department and the National Security Council were not informed. They added that Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy tasked with negotiating an end to the war and planning the transition ahead of January, was excluded from the Witkoff-Dmitriev talks.

A senior U.S. official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was briefed on the 28-point plan, but did not clarify when he was told.

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott insisted,
“Secretary Rubio has been closely involved throughout the development of the plan. Any suggestion otherwise is completely false.”

However, officials interviewed by Reuters questioned this account.

Another U.S. official said:
“There was no coordination. No one at State had seen it—not even Rubio.”
The official added that the plan contained elements previously rejected by the Secretary of State.

This situation has raised concerns within the administration and on Capitol Hill that Witkoff and Kushner bypassed the interagency process, resulting in a proposal that aligns heavily with Moscow’s interests.

The plan includes long-standing Russian demands: that Ukraine relinquish certain eastern territories still under its control, recognize Crimea as Russian, and pledge not to join NATO.

Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned:
“This so-called ‘peace plan’ has serious problems. I doubt it would bring peace. Ukraine should not be pressured into giving its land to one of the world’s worst war criminals.”

Experts also criticized the draft.

Dara Massicot of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted that Putin recently said the plan could serve as a “base” for future negotiations — a sign that the Kremlin may seek further concessions beyond those already disadvantageous to Ukraine.
“A one-week deadline seems unrealistic,” she added.

Concerns over Dmitriev deepen

A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the matter said the administration’s interactions with Dmitriev have alarmed members of the intelligence community.

Dmitriev has previously used his RDIF position to maintain influence with Western governments and businesses despite sanctions.

The CIA declined to comment.

During the first Trump administration, Dmitriev maintained contact with members of the president’s team about resetting U.S.-Russia relations. According to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, he discussed U.S.-Russia ties in a 2017 meeting with Erik Prince, former CEO of Blackwater and a Trump associate.

In another meeting, Dmitriev shared a reconciliation plan intended to strengthen U.S.-Russia relations.

Mueller’s report ultimately found no evidence that Trump’s team coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Dmitriev also worked directly with Kushner during the pandemic, coordinating delivery of ventilators from RDIF to the U.S. A senior U.S. official said this raised concerns within the Treasury Department about potential sanctions violations.

Recently, Dmitriev has appeared at American media outlets and global events like the World Economic Forum in Davos to promote stronger U.S.-Russia trade ties.

Public readouts show he delivered similar messages during his Miami visit. His schedule included a meeting with U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican. The two discussed increasing trade between the U.S. and Russia. Luna’s office did not respond to requests for comment. Their meeting was arranged shortly after Luna claimed she had received Russia’s JFK files.

A video from Russia’s state news agency RIA shows Luna receiving a box of chocolates featuring Vladimir Putin’s face. Photos show Luna and Dmitriev together in a conference room at Miami’s Faena Hotel.

According to its website, the Faena Hotel is owned by Access Industries, led by Russian billionaire Len Blavatnik. Blavatnik previously partnered with Viktor Vekselberg, another Putin-linked billionaire sanctioned by the U.S.
Witkoff’s company, the Witkoff Group, has business interests with Blavatnik in Miami and other cities.