President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan to end the brutal war in Ukraine was met with fierce opposition from members of his own Republican Party.
GOP lawmakers warned the 28-point deal appeared to be a complete cave-in to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The backlash left the administration scrabbling to contain fallout as it pushed forward with talks.
“The initial peace proposal pushed by [Special Envoy Steve] Witkoff was a surrender document for Ukraine that would have left it at the mercy of Russia for decades to come,” Rep. Don Bacon wrote on Monday.
He welcomed Secretary of State Marco Rubio working with the Ukrainians and said, amid negotiations, that the plan was getting “better.”
The initial peace proposal pushed by Witkoff was a surrender document for Ukraine that would have left it at the mercy of Russia for decades to come. With Rubio back, & w/ Ukrainian & European input we are seeing a better plan. We must stand on side of freedom & rule of law.
— Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) November 24, 2025
Ahead of Sunday’s negotiations, GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick also called the proposal “nothing more than Russia’s absurd wish list that should be dismissed and shredded for the garbage that it is.”
“The only peace plan that should be taken seriously is one that is 100% drafted by and approved by Ukraine,” he wrote. “They are the victims here, and we will stand behind them 100%.”
Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell argued that “those who think pressuring the victim and appeasing the aggressor will bring peace are kidding themselves.”
He questioned what “difficult concessions” the U.S. was pressuring Russia to make.
“The price and stability of peace matters, and our credibility is on the line. Allies and adversaries are watching: Will America hold firm against aggression or will we reward it?” McConnell wrote.
Amid the backlash, the U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian officials on Sunday in Geneva. He insisted the talks were productive as the work continues.
Trump hinted that “big progress” was being made in a Truth Social post on Monday, but enraged Republicans are now watching the negotiations closely.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Putin wanted “legal recognition for what he has stolen” and said that was the “main problem.”
European leaders also expressed reservations on Monday despite welcoming efforts to bring the war to a close. Finnish President Alexander Stubb noted there were still major issues to resolve.
But as the U.S. sought to jumpstart negotiations, Rubio was also on cleanup duty over the weekend amid confusion.
First, the secretary of state distanced the U.S. from the peace proposal, according to lawmakers he briefed ahead of his Geneva talks.
Republican Sen. Mike Rounds said during a press conference on Saturday that the secretary told them it was not the U.S. peace plan, but the U.S. was acting “as an intermediary.”
However, Rubio later disputed that and has since been discussing it as a foundational document as work progresses.
“The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations,” Rubio wrote Saturday. “It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
Speaking in Geneva, Rubio said there had been substantial progress in narrowing disagreements over some of the points in the plan.
“It is probably the most productive day we have had on this issue, maybe in the entirety of our engagement, but certainly in a very long time,” Rubio said after the meeting.
He noted that work remains and that the presidents would have to sign off on any agreement.
But Republican Rep. Mike McCaul observed on Sunday on ABC This Week that Zelensky is the one who has appeared willing to make concessions to reach a peace deal, while Putin looks to be the one “never willing to make concessions.”
“I don’t know if he will accept this plan,” McCaul noted.
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