U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a press conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S., August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner and other administration representatives met Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev to draft the peace plan, which came as a surprise to U.S. officials at home and abroad.

Another 40 people were wounded in the overnight strikes on Ukraine that targeted energy and transport infrastructure, forcing emergency power cuts in a number of regions.