Progress made on amending US peace plan for Ukraine, officials say

Progress Made in US-Ukraine Peace Plan Talks, Though Key Issues Remain Unresolved

Progress was made during urgent weekend talks in Geneva aimed at amending the controversial U.S. peace proposal for Ukraine, officials reported Monday. The initial 28-point plan, which many critics viewed as heavily favoring Russia’s demands, has undergone significant revisions following intense negotiations between U.S. and Ukrainian officials.

The original proposal sparked alarm across Europe and Ukraine by suggesting Kyiv should cede territory to Russia, reduce its military forces, and accept that it would never join NATO – concessions that aligned closely with Moscow’s demands throughout the nearly four-year war that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Oleksandr Bevz, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who participated in the Geneva discussions, told the Associated Press that negotiators managed to address almost all points in the plan. However, the critical issue of territorial concessions remains unresolved and can only be decided at the presidential level, according to Bevz.

“The U.S. showed great openness and understanding that security guarantees are the cornerstone of any agreement for Ukraine,” Bevz said. He indicated that Washington would continue refining the proposal before the leaders of Ukraine and the United States meet to discuss it further. Only then would the plan be presented to Russia.

European officials, who complained they were blindsided by the original U.S. proposal despite their own security being directly at stake, pressed Washington for substantive changes during the Geneva talks. Finnish President Alexander Stubb characterized the negotiations as “a step forward” but acknowledged that “major issues remain to be resolved.”

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously criticized Ukraine for what he perceived as insufficient gratitude for American military support, suggested on social media that the process might be yielding positive results: “Is it really possible that big progress is being made in Peace Talks between Russia and Ukraine??? Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening.”

Though Trump had initially imposed a Thursday deadline for Ukraine to agree to the plan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed this timeline, indicating that negotiations could continue beyond that date. Rubio, who directed the Geneva talks, described them as “very worthwhile” and “the most productive day in a very long time.”

The Kremlin, meanwhile, said it has not yet seen the revised peace proposal. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted there were no plans for U.S. and Russian delegations to meet this week, though Russia remained “open for such contacts.” Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, had previously described many provisions in the original plan as “quite acceptable” to Moscow, while dismissing European counterproposals as “completely unconstructive.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Ukraine’s allies in the “coalition of the willing” – approximately 30 countries supporting Kyiv – would hold video talks on Tuesday regarding the negotiations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the “interim result” of the Geneva discussions, noting that the U.S. proposal “has now been modified in significant parts,” though he provided no specific details.

The emergence of the U.S. peace plan comes at a particularly challenging time for Ukraine and President Zelenskyy. The country’s military is under severe strain on the front lines against Russia’s larger army, while simultaneously facing critical shortages of funding and equipment. Zelenskyy is also contending with a major corruption scandal that has tarnished his government’s reputation.

Despite these challenges, Zelenskyy expressed cautious optimism Sunday night, stating that “diplomacy has been reinvigorated, and that’s good. Very good.”

As diplomatic efforts continue, Russia’s military assault on Ukraine persists. Overnight, Russian drones struck residential areas in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, killing four people and wounding 13, including two children. The attacks damaged eight residential buildings, an educational facility, and power infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired 162 strike and decoy drones over the country during the night.

German Chancellor Merz emphasized that Moscow must now become engaged in the peace process: “The next step must be that Russia must come to the table. This is a laborious process. It will move forward at most in smaller steps this week. I do not expect there to be a breakthrough this week.”