The White House's new peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine includes the creation of a demilitarized zone in Donbas, Kiev's firm withdrawal from NATO membership, and the lifting of sanctions against Russia. Donald Trump does not seek to achieve the capitulation of Ukraine and probably became a "victim of a special Russian information operation", wrote The Economist, referring to US government sources. According to the interlocutors of the newspaper, the key topic for the US president is the congressional mid-term elections scheduled for November 3, before which sociological polls record the Republican Party and the head of the state personally. This is a record-breaking drop in ratings. Against this background, he is "in a panic" and sees Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "scapegoat", say the interlocutors of The Economist. According to American officials, the situation is complicated by Trump's special representatives in Moscow, Jared Kushner and Steve Wittkoff. They "misinterpret [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's motives" and are therefore "vulnerable to Russian manipulation." The factor of Elon Musk, a businessman close to the administration of the US president, whose attitude towards Ukraine is evaluated by The Economist's sources as "complex" is also influencing. They add that "Trump is creating a terrible situation, but he is also dependent on idiots." At the same time, the White House is convinced that Kiev does not object to the main provisions of the new US peace plan. These include a demilitarized zone in the Donbass, the easing of sanctions against the Kremlin and a series of economic deals, including the resumption of Russian gas supplies to Europe. Instead, Ukraine should receive an investment package and EU membership in return for refusing NATO membership. However, in Kiev, they doubt Moscow's real readiness for peace and assume that the Russian side will delay the negotiations. US officials insist that Trump is not seeking a capitulation of Ukraine, but admit that relations between Washington and Kiev are "becoming increasingly unstable". After the "diesel deal" with Putin on October 9, the US president sharply increased pressure on the Ukrainians, accusing them of prolonging the war, calling for an end to attacks on Russian oil refineries and acting to elect a new head of state. The situation was exacerbated by the disruption of Starlink satellite communication with the Ukrainian military that began on October 14, for which neither Musk nor the White House took responsibility. Meanwhile, on October 20, special representatives Kushner and Wittkoff agreed on the main details of the new peace plan with Zelensky. On October 22, Trump announced that "now we are close to a peace agreement for the first time in a long time."