Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, stated on Monday that the most delicate issues would be discussed directly with US President Donald Trump despite the fact that important components of a proposed peace plan being negotiated with the US and European partners had been refined and enhanced. Zelenskyy’s comments followed the return of top Ukrainian officials from crucial negotiations in Geneva to modify the US-proposed peace plan to stop the war, which Kyiv had previously rejected.
Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s negotiation team had made progress during the weekend discussions in a statement shared on Telegram.
After negotiating with the American side and European partners, our delegation returned from Geneva today. The list of actions required to put an end to the war can now be completed. There are currently fewer points—no longer 28—after Geneva, and many of the appropriate components have been included in this framework,” he stated.
We still have a lot of work to do collectively to complete the document, and we must do it all with dignity. We are grateful that the majority of the world is willing to assist us and that the United States is taking a positive approach to this.”
Zelenskyy claimed to have received a briefing on the revised document from Ukrainian officials. “Our team has already reported today on the new draft of steps, and this is indeed the right approach – I will discuss the sensitive issues with President Trump.”
“Ukraine will never be an obstacle to peace – this is our principle, a shared principle, and millions of Ukrainians are counting on, and deserve, a dignified peace,” he continued, restating Kyiv’s fundamental stance. We are prepared to get to work as soon as feasible and will stop at nothing to accomplish this.”
The US has made significant changes to its 28-point plan.
Following the revelation of a 28-point US paper that demanded Ukraine lose land, curtail its military forces, and refrain from pursuing Russian war crimes—conditions that immediately sparked anger in Kyiv and throughout Europe—the Geneva talks were called.
Later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “tremendous progress” had been made in the plan’s revision, but he declined to list any outstanding problems, referring to the situation as “delicate.”
An “updated and revised framework document” was subsequently announced in a joint US-Ukraine statement. The deputy foreign minister of Ukraine claims that “very little is left” from the initial proposal and that it now has 19 points.
Additionally, European officials proposed their own revisions, eliminating language that essentially prohibited NATO membership and calls for Ukraine to give up cities in Donbas. Additionally, their version did away with any planned amnesty for Russian war crimes as well as a cap on Ukraine’s army.
Friedrich Merz, the chancellor of Germany, referred to the most recent text as “significantly modified,” while Trump, who had only days before criticized Ukraine of displaying “zero gratitude,” expressed openness to the new course by stating that “something good may be coming”.
Following talks in Geneva, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added that the Trump administration and Kiev had agreed on the majority of the elements that comprise the US plan to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Additionally, she verified that Trump and Zelenskiy will not be meeting this week.
