A peace plan being thrust upon Ukraine was actually written by Russia, according to reports, and Marco Rubio is taking heat for confusing messaging.
Foreign affairs and defense correspondent Nick Schifrin reported the news on X:
"BREAKING: After talking to @SecRubio, @SenatorRounds announces that the 28 point plan was a Russian document, not a US document," he wrote.
Sen. Angus King, one of the senators who broke with the majority of the Democratic caucus to support a deal to end the federal government shutdown, confirmed that Rubio report, saying, "According to Secretary Rubio, this plan is not the administration’s position — it is essentially the Russians’ wish list that is now being presented to the Europeans and to the Ukrainians."
That sparked outrage.
Former Lincoln Project veterans affairs adviser Fred Wellman, an ex-Republican and current Democratic campaign consultant, said, "This is the most incompetent and idiotic Administration in history," and then added, "Who is in charge?"
Political scientist Norman Ornstein responded to Wellman, saying simply, "Putin."
But there's a twist, because a State Department spokesman, Tommy Pigott, issued the following statement:
"This is blatantly false. As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians."
That led to senior congressional reporter Andrew Desiderio to chime in with, "A truly bizarre series of events."
"Senators from both parties said in Halifax that Rubio told them via phone today that the Ukraine peace plan is actually a Russian document, not a U.S. proposal," he added. "State Department spox says that’s not true, it’s a U.S.-authored proposal. ???"
MeidasTouch also added, "Holy s---: here’s a tweet where Vance pushed the Ukraine 'peace plan' that Marco Rubio just admitted was written entirely by Russia. This may be one of the biggest foreign policy scandals in history."