Podcast Summary: The Ukrainian Peace Plan Written by ... Russia?

Podcast: The Daily (The New York Times)
Date: November 26, 2025
Hosts: Rachel Abrams (B), with reporting by Kim Barker (C) and David Sanger (E)

Overview

This episode delves into the controversy surrounding a leaked U.S. peace plan for the Ukraine war that appeared to heavily favor Russia. Journalists Kim Barker and David Sanger dissect how this plan came to be, its impact on Ukraine during a moment of political vulnerability, and the diplomatic chaos it unleashed among Americans, Europeans, and Russians. The episode explores backroom negotiations, internal U.S. political dynamics, and the larger geopolitical stakes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Leaked “Russian” Peace Plan

[02:06–03:41]

• Last week, a 28-point U.S. peace plan aiming to end the Ukraine war leaked publicly.
• Ukrainians immediately noted the plan echoed longstanding Russian demands, creating shock and anger.
• The plan was released amid mounting war exhaustion and ongoing Russian missile attacks against Ukrainian cities.
• Ukrainians, weary from four years of war, are desperate for peace but horrified by what they view as a "capitulation."

Kim Barker (03:57):
"Universally, the word that we heard over and over again was capitulation... and the idea that like, no, we have lost too much blood. The idea that we're just going to give up everything we've been fighting for for nothing. No."

2. Political Vulnerability in Ukraine

[04:43–09:32]

• The peace plan surfaced right as President Zelensky faced his weakest political moment due to a corruption scandal.
• The scandal involved the misuse of money meant for building shelters to protect against Russian attacks, unraveling via a dramatic, video-based "miniseries" produced by anti-corruption investigators.
• The Ukrainian public reacted with indignation and horror, given the context of ongoing attacks and power shortages.
• Zelensky’s response: vague condemnation of corruption, but avoidance of discussing his close allies implicated.

Kim Barker (08:24):
"They were horrified. People are making money off of shelters that are supposed to protect us from Russian missile and drone attack..."

3. Zelensky’s Response & Domestic Pressure

[09:32–13:21]

• Zelensky, seeing the uproar over the plan and his weakened status, went on the offensive—rebranding himself as a wartime leader unwilling to accept a "bad peace."
• He insisted Ukrainians face a choice: preserve their dignity, or risk losing U.S. support by rejecting the deal.
• Behind the scenes, U.S. pressure on Ukraine to accept the plan was intense, fueled by the Trump administration’s desire for a quick resolution.

Kim Barker (11:01):
"[Zelensky] came out and he's returning to his early wartime president sort of disposition... telling the country that... it's one of the toughest choices they've had. Are we going to sacrifice our dignity, or... lose this key partner, that partner being the United States."

4. How the Plan Got Written—and Why It Favored Russia

[15:33–18:36]

• David Sanger reveals the U.S. plan incorporated Russian views from the outset, as American negotiators first met with a Russian sovereign wealth fund head in Miami before consulting Ukraine.
• The Trump team attempted to replicate their recent approach in Gaza: gather each side’s demands, force compromises, and then “impose” a deal.
• Key drafters included Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, Vice President J.D. Vance, and Secretary of State/National Security Advisor Marco Rubio.

David Sanger (15:46):
"After it leaked, the first thing I wrote was it read like it had been drafted in the Kremlin. And the reason for that is parts of it, it turned out essentially had been..."

5. Backlash, Revision, and Diplomatic Fallout

[18:59–23:38]

• Ukrainians were only involved in the process a week before the leak; Europeans not at all.
• European governments felt bypassed and betrayed, with Germany’s Chancellor warning the plan threatened continental security, not just Ukraine’s sovereignty.
• A scramble ensued: Rubio rushed to Geneva for damage control, resulting in a revised, softened 20-point plan, but possibly losing Russian buy-in.

David Sanger (21:25):
"The Europeans felt like this draft of a peace accord not only sold Ukraine down the river, it sold their own security down the river."

6. What’s Really Driving U.S. Policy?

[24:09–27:39]

• President Trump appeared set on securing a quick deal—possibly fueled by the aim for a Nobel Peace Prize and his transactional approach to diplomacy.
• Trump imposed a Thanksgiving deadline but backed off after backlash; envoy Steve Witkoff is now headed to Moscow for further talks with Putin.
• Sanger highlights the contrast between Biden’s focus on the post–WWII order and Trump’s blunt “just cut the deal” outlook, regardless of moral or legal precedent.

David Sanger (25:32):
"That’s exactly right, Rachel. If you think about how former President Biden talked about this war ... he always said, we're here to reestablish the rules of the post World War II order... President Trump doesn't talk in those terms. He says, just tell me what it will take to get it done."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the leaked plan:

  "This sounds an awful lot like Russian talking points, like everything Russia ever wanted."
  —Kim Barker [02:33]

• On Ukrainian reaction:

  "Universally, the word that we heard over and over again was capitulation."
  —Kim Barker [03:57]

• On the Netflix-style corruption scandal:

  "It's exactly what Ukrainians were saying. You had like the memes of Bill Hader eating popcorn, waiting for the next thing to drop."
  —Kim Barker [07:08]

• On U.S. diplomatic process:

  "After it leaked, the first thing I wrote was it read like it had been drafted in the Kremlin. And the reason for that is parts of it ... had been."
  —David Sanger [15:46]

• On peace at any cost:

  "The goal is to end the war in Ukraine by hook or by crook and not necessarily to uphold any particularly strongly principles in the process. Is that fair?
  —Rachel Abrams [25:03]
  "That's exactly right, Rachel." —David Sanger [25:32]

Important Timestamps

• 00:31 – Episode begins; Rachel Abrams introduces topic
• 02:33 – Kim Barker explains initial Ukrainian reaction to the peace plan
• 04:43 – Corruption scandal details, "Netflix" investigation series emerges
• 09:32 – Domestic backlash and Zelensky’s public stance
• 15:33 – David Sanger details how the peace plan was crafted and Russia’s early involvement
• 21:25 – European diplomatic uproar, Rubio’s Geneva meetings
• 24:09 – Trump’s motivations, Nobel Peace Prize reference
• 27:47 – Latest missile barrage in Kyiv, and next diplomatic steps

Tone & Language

• Direct, urgent, and journalistic; conversations balance analysis, reporting, and on-the-ground perspective.
• Frequent allusions to pop culture and recent history for relatability.

Conclusion

The episode paints a picture of a peace process both improvised and fraught: internationally embarrassing, domestically destabilizing for Ukraine, and, at least for now, stuck in limbo as the U.S. presses for a deal that raises existential questions for Europe—and leaves Ukraine’s fate hanging in the balance.

For listeners: This conversation is a must-hear for anyone trying to understand the fast-moving and high-stakes endgame in Ukraine diplomacy as 2025 draws to a close.