Ukraine 'agrees to peace deal' as US 'holds secret meeting' with Russian officials

Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump (Image: Getty)

A Ukrainian delegation has reached agreement with Washington on the terms of a potential peace deal, US Government official has claimed. US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is understood to have held discreet talks on Monday with a Russian delegation in the United Arab Emirates, following weekend discussions in Geneva with Ukrainian representatives, intended to push the peace process forward.

The unnamed official also told ABC News that these meetings were part of a wider diplomatic effort. They explained: “The Ukrainians have agreed to the peace deal. There are a few minor points still to sort out, but they’ve agreed to the deal.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Dan Driscoll (Image: AP)

The unpublicised Abu Dhabi meeting with the Russian side followed the Geneva engagement between the US and Ukraine and represents the latest indication that Washington’s renewed push to revive negotiations is gaining momentum.

Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Tolbert said: “Late Monday and throughout Tuesday, Secretary Driscoll and team have been in talks with the Russian delegation to secure a lasting peace in Ukraine.

"The discussions are going well and we remain optimistic. Secretary Driscoll is closely aligned with the White House and wider US interagency as these talks continue.”

Neither Russia nor Ukraine has formally acknowledged their delegations’ presence in Abu Dhabi.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

The US delegation in Geneva was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Driscoll.

ABC News has learned that the original 28-point US peace plan presented to Kyiv in Geneva has been cut to 19 points, removing sections on amnesty for wartime actions and limits on the future size of Ukraine’s armed forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Monday night address: “More work still needs to be done on the revised plan.”

After the weekend’s meetings, Russian officials said they had received no briefing on what was discussed in Geneva or what changes were made following the US–Ukrainian talks.

MPs respond to reports of a US Ukraine peace plan

Once the Geneva round ended, Mr Rubio returned to the United States, while Driscoll travelled to Abu Dhabi, where on Monday he secretly met a Russian delegation to review the revisions to the 28-point proposal, according to the US official.

Last week, as Mr Driscoll travelled into Ukraine for meetings, US officials told ABC News that a meeting with Russian representatives was possible, though the timing was unclear.

Mr Driscoll’s central role in the Trump administration’s renewed peace initiative emerged after a discussion between President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance two weeks earlier. Ordinarily, a service secretary would not front such a high-stakes diplomatic effort, but sending a senior military figure may be viewed positively in both Moscow and Kyiv.

Ahead of his trip into Ukraine, Mr Driscoll worked with Mr Rubio and Mr Witkoff, who has long served as the administration’s envoy for Russia–Ukraine talks. After a stop in Germany for further briefings, he entered Ukraine accompanied by senior Army leadership: General Randy George, General Chris Donahue, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer, and Lieutenant General Curtis Buzzard, who oversees the US military assistance programme.

These senior officers were not involved in the Geneva discussions and are not participating in the ongoing contacts with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi.

From a Ukrainian perspective, the peace plan remains deeply problematic, even in its revised 19-point form, as it originated from back-channel talks between US officials and Russian representatives—drafted without Kyiv's direct involvement and echoing Moscow's maximalist demands, such as ceding control of Crimea, Donbas, and parts of eastern Ukraine, while forgoing NATO membership.

This framework not only rewards Russian aggression by legitimising illegal territorial annexations but also undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and security, potentially leaving the nation vulnerable to future invasions without robust Western alliances or a sufficiently sized military.

Mr Zelensky has warned that accepting such terms could mean "losing dignity and freedom," a sentiment echoed by frontline soldiers who view it as nullifying years of sacrifice and by European allies insisting on no forced border changes or caps on defensive capabilities.

Ultimately, the plan pressures Ukraine into concessions under threat of diminished US support, risking a "sell-out" which fails to deliver lasting peace and instead emboldens Vladimir Putin for renewed aggression.