WSJ Bombshell: Trump Chiefs Met With Putin Honcho On Peace Plan To Access Billions Frozen In Europe
Tommy Christopher
Sat, November 29, 2025
Trump Chiefs Met With Putin Honcho On Peace Plan To Access Billions Frozen In EU
President Donald Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Putin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev to hammer out a peace deal that would unlock hundreds of billions in funds frozen in Europe, according to a bombshell Wall Street Journal report.
Recently, Trump took flak over a 28-point peace plan that was rejected by many Republicans and others as a “Russian wish list.”
The president lashed out after the leaked plan was widely criticized, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s did confirm that “The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
In remarks to reporters, Trump later distanced himself from the plan, saying “Well, that was just a map, all that was is a map. That was not a plan, it was a concept.”
But according to the Wall Street Journal’s five-member reporting team — Drew Hinshaw, Benoit Faucon, Rebecca Ballhaus, Thomas Grove, and Joe Parkinson — another plan was being worked out in Miami by Trump’s business cronies/officials:
At his waterfront estate, billionaire developer-turned-special envoy Steve Witkoff was hosting Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign-wealth fund and Vladimir Putin’s handpicked negotiator, who had largely shaped the document they were revising on the screen. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, had arrived from his nearby home on an island known as the “Billionaire Bunker.”
Dmitriev was pushing a plan for U.S. companies to tap the roughly $300 billion of Russian central bank assets, frozen in Europe, for U.S.-Russian investment projects and a U.S.-led reconstruction of Ukraine. U.S. and Russian companies could join to exploit the vast mineral wealth in the Arctic. There were no limits to what two longtime adversaries could achieve, Dmitriev had argued for months: Their rival space industries, which raced one another during the Cold War, could even pursue a joint mission to Mars with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
For the Kremlin, the Miami talks were the culmination of a strategy, hatched before Trump’s inauguration, to bypass the traditional U.S. national security apparatus and convince the administration to view Russia not as a military threat but as a land of bountiful opportunity, according to Western security officials. By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies.
The report goes into great depth about the secret meetings and machinations that would result in windfalls for U.S. businesses in Russia and Ukraine.
Tommy Christopher
Sat, November 29, 2025
Trump Chiefs Met With Putin Honcho On Peace Plan To Access Billions Frozen In EU
President Donald Trump’s top envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Putin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev to hammer out a peace deal that would unlock hundreds of billions in funds frozen in Europe, according to a bombshell Wall Street Journal report.
Recently, Trump took flak over a 28-point peace plan that was rejected by many Republicans and others as a “Russian wish list.”
The president lashed out after the leaked plan was widely criticized, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s did confirm that “The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
In remarks to reporters, Trump later distanced himself from the plan, saying “Well, that was just a map, all that was is a map. That was not a plan, it was a concept.”
But according to the Wall Street Journal’s five-member reporting team — Drew Hinshaw, Benoit Faucon, Rebecca Ballhaus, Thomas Grove, and Joe Parkinson — another plan was being worked out in Miami by Trump’s business cronies/officials:
At his waterfront estate, billionaire developer-turned-special envoy Steve Witkoff was hosting Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign-wealth fund and Vladimir Putin’s handpicked negotiator, who had largely shaped the document they were revising on the screen. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, had arrived from his nearby home on an island known as the “Billionaire Bunker.”
Dmitriev was pushing a plan for U.S. companies to tap the roughly $300 billion of Russian central bank assets, frozen in Europe, for U.S.-Russian investment projects and a U.S.-led reconstruction of Ukraine. U.S. and Russian companies could join to exploit the vast mineral wealth in the Arctic. There were no limits to what two longtime adversaries could achieve, Dmitriev had argued for months: Their rival space industries, which raced one another during the Cold War, could even pursue a joint mission to Mars with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
For the Kremlin, the Miami talks were the culmination of a strategy, hatched before Trump’s inauguration, to bypass the traditional U.S. national security apparatus and convince the administration to view Russia not as a military threat but as a land of bountiful opportunity, according to Western security officials. By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies.
The report goes into great depth about the secret meetings and machinations that would result in windfalls for U.S. businesses in Russia and Ukraine.
Read the full report here.
Adam Downer
Sat, November 29, 2025
DAILY BEAST
John McDonnell / Stringer, Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
At the center of President Trump’s contentious plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war isn’t peace: it’s profit.
Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are negotiating with Russian officials to ensure U.S. businesses—and Trump’s friends—are in position to make a killing once the war ends, according to an exhaustive Wall Street Journal report published Friday.
“Russia has so many vast resources, vast expanses of land,” Witkoff, who last week was busted coaching Russians on how to best suck up to the president, told The Wall Street Journal.
At the center of President Trump’s contentious plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war isn’t peace: it’s profit.
Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are negotiating with Russian officials to ensure U.S. businesses—and Trump’s friends—are in position to make a killing once the war ends, according to an exhaustive Wall Street Journal report published Friday.
“Russia has so many vast resources, vast expanses of land,” Witkoff, who last week was busted coaching Russians on how to best suck up to the president, told The Wall Street Journal.
Steve Witkoff (left) has been a central figure in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks and has been busted pushing Russian interests in the negotiations. / Gavriil Grigorov / via REUTERS
Witkoff spoke to the paper about a future where Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine are all business partners.
“If we do all that, and everybody’s prospering and they’re all a part of it, and there’s upside for everybody, that’s going to naturally be a bulwark against future conflicts there. Because everybody’s thriving,” Witkoff said.
For Witkoff, Kushner, and the Russians, the goal is reportedly to revitalize Russia’s $2 trillion economy through joint Russia-U.S. ventures. At the center of the talks is $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets that Russia wants to give to U.S. businesses for investment projects and U.S.-led reconstruction of Ukraine.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been dangling lucrative Russia-U.S. ventures, such as exploiting Arctic mineral resources and teaming up with SpaceX on a joint mission to Mars.
Witkoff spoke to the paper about a future where Russia, the U.S., and Ukraine are all business partners.
“If we do all that, and everybody’s prospering and they’re all a part of it, and there’s upside for everybody, that’s going to naturally be a bulwark against future conflicts there. Because everybody’s thriving,” Witkoff said.
For Witkoff, Kushner, and the Russians, the goal is reportedly to revitalize Russia’s $2 trillion economy through joint Russia-U.S. ventures. At the center of the talks is $300 billion in frozen Russian central bank assets that Russia wants to give to U.S. businesses for investment projects and U.S.-led reconstruction of Ukraine.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been dangling lucrative Russia-U.S. ventures, such as exploiting Arctic mineral resources and teaming up with SpaceX on a joint mission to Mars.
Kirill Dmitriev has been proposing lucrative joint U.S.-Russia business ventures so that the U.S. will get kickback once the war ends. / Getty
Money from such projects would flow to Trump’s friends and megadonors. Gentry Beach, founder of investment firm America First Global , a college friend of Donald Trump Jr. and Donald Trump campaign donor, is in talks to acquire a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project if it is released from sanctions, according to The Journal.
Trump megadonor Stephen P. Lynch has been working with Trump Jr. to purchase the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which provides vital gas to Europe from Russia.
By coordinating with the U.S. on profitable business ventures, Russia believes it could become an economic powerhouse in Europe while driving a wedge between the United States and its traditional European allies.
Europe balked at President Trump’s 28-point peace plan—which Witkoff drafted based on a Russian plan— arguing it was overly generous to Russia. The deal had Ukraine concede territory and cut its military capacity, effectively neutering the nation’s sovereignty. The plan wasn’t popular in America either, as it received significant pushback from the GOP.
Europe responded with its own peace plan that amended Trump’s. The new plan makes territorial concessions a point of post-ceasefire talks and raises the cap on Ukraine’s military so the country can still defend itself effectively. Negotiations are ongoing.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Wall Street Journal, “The Trump administration has gathered input from both the Ukrainians and Russians to formulate a peace deal that can stop the killing and bring this war to a close. As the President said, his national security team has made great progress over the past week, and the agreement will continue to be fine-tuned following conversations with officials from both sides.”
Money from such projects would flow to Trump’s friends and megadonors. Gentry Beach, founder of investment firm America First Global , a college friend of Donald Trump Jr. and Donald Trump campaign donor, is in talks to acquire a stake in a Russian Arctic gas project if it is released from sanctions, according to The Journal.
Trump megadonor Stephen P. Lynch has been working with Trump Jr. to purchase the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which provides vital gas to Europe from Russia.
By coordinating with the U.S. on profitable business ventures, Russia believes it could become an economic powerhouse in Europe while driving a wedge between the United States and its traditional European allies.
Europe balked at President Trump’s 28-point peace plan—which Witkoff drafted based on a Russian plan— arguing it was overly generous to Russia. The deal had Ukraine concede territory and cut its military capacity, effectively neutering the nation’s sovereignty. The plan wasn’t popular in America either, as it received significant pushback from the GOP.
Europe responded with its own peace plan that amended Trump’s. The new plan makes territorial concessions a point of post-ceasefire talks and raises the cap on Ukraine’s military so the country can still defend itself effectively. Negotiations are ongoing.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
Spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Wall Street Journal, “The Trump administration has gathered input from both the Ukrainians and Russians to formulate a peace deal that can stop the killing and bring this war to a close. As the President said, his national security team has made great progress over the past week, and the agreement will continue to be fine-tuned following conversations with officials from both sides.”
Trump's peace plan has been criticized for being overly friendly to the Russians.
/ Contributor / Getty Images
Though the Journal’s report details the many ways in which Americans and Russians could profit from an eventual peace deal, it’s unclear how Ukraine would benefit.
Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, former Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, said he was leaving the government after he was “frozen” out of peace talks. In October, President Trump refused Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles that they felt could help Ukraine negotiate with Russia more effectively.
Witkoff suggested Ukraine instead ask Trump for a ten-year tariff exemption to “supercharge” its economy.
Though the Journal’s report details the many ways in which Americans and Russians could profit from an eventual peace deal, it’s unclear how Ukraine would benefit.
Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, former Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, said he was leaving the government after he was “frozen” out of peace talks. In October, President Trump refused Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles that they felt could help Ukraine negotiate with Russia more effectively.
Witkoff suggested Ukraine instead ask Trump for a ten-year tariff exemption to “supercharge” its economy.
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