President Donald Trump has claimed that “big progress” is being made in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The US and Ukraine sought on Monday to narrow gaps in a peace plan proposed by Washington on Friday that was criticised as pro-Russian. European leaders have responded with a counter-proposal that reasserts Ukraine’s demands.
It includes respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, freedom to advance its Nato ambitions and EU membership aspirations and maintain a large military to deter the threat of future Russian aggression.
Several countries and high-profile individuals are involved in the discussions, which have resulted in public disagreements. The Independent looks at some of the key characters below.
Kirill Dmitriev - blacklisted Kremlin official behind Trump’s peace plan
Dmitriev, the Harvard-educated CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), assumed the office of the special presidential envoy on Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation on 23 February this year despite having little diplomatic experience.
The businessman and his organisation have been under US sanctions, effectively barring American citizens and companies from dealing with them, since 2022.
The close ally of Vladimir Putin is not popular among other members of his inner circle, with reports that he has clashed with “sidelined” foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and presidential aide Yury Ushakov when they met with American officials in Saudi Arabia in February.
Dmitriev has met several times with some of Trump’s closest officials, including his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
He worked directly with Kushner during the first administration, coordinating with him during the pandemic on the delivery of RDIF-supplied ventilators to the US. It sparked concern among officials at the Treasury Department that the US might be violating its own sanctions, according to a senior US official.
The businessman has appeared on various American television stations and at events including the World Economic Forum in Davos, to promote the strengthening of trade ties between the US and Russia.
Dan Driscoll - The ex-soldier and Vance’s Yale classmate
A friend and former classmate of JD Vance from the vice president’s Yale Law School days, Driscoll – who has a background in the US military and is the son of a Vietnam veteran – has made a formidable name for himself in the current Trump administration.
Driscoll served for three and a half years in the US Army, including a deployment in Iraq in 2009, leaving duty as a lieutenant. Despite little diplomatic experience, the former investment banker’s background in politics includes an internship at the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
He has been directly involved in controversial deployments of the national guard across the US, and succeeded Kash Patel as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
His high-level involvement comes amid a series of controversies and criticism surrounding secretary of war Peter Hegseth.
“There’s not a lot of trust in Hegseth to deliver these messages to key leaders,” a source told Politico. “There is more trust in Dan to do that right now.”
Experienced in drone technology, he has previously shown respect for Ukraine’s resourcefulness in deploying its relatively limited resources to “come up with whatever they have to do to get to an outcome they need”.
Andriy Yermak - Zelensky’s ‘right-hand man’ at centre of scandal
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “right-hand man” is deeply unpopular in Ukraine, according to the Kyiv Independent. In recent weeks, he has faced calls to step down or be sacked over a corruption scandal.
The Ukrainian politician currently serves as Zelensky’s chief of staff and - in line with the unconventional career trajectories of other negotiators - has a background in film production.
Pro-democracy watchdogs and lawmakers have implicated Yermak in a $100m energy scandal. Anti-corruption agencies have said he is not involved.
In 2024, Time named Yermak as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He is a member of the highest command and control body for Ukraine’s armed forces, the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Marco Rubio - Trump’s secretary of state
The Republican politician represented Florida in the US Senate from 2011 to 2025. He is currently serving as US Secretary of State and played a leading role during Israel-Gaza ceasefire talks.
Rubio has a colourful career history including serving in the House of Representatives in Miami and teaching at Florida International University as an adjunct professor, an appointment that was criticised at the time.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine stalled earlier this year following a phone call between Rubio and Lavrov, during which the Russian diplomat is said to have infuriated Washington by making maximalist demands over ending the war.
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