On Friday, Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had until Thursday to approve the plan, which calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and renounce ambitions to join NATO.
For many Ukrainians, including soldiers fighting on the front lines, such terms would amount to capitulation after nearly four years of fighting in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. On Saturday, Trump said the current proposal for ending the war is not his final offer.
With the US delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the main talks between US and Ukrainian officials got under way in Geneva on Sunday afternoon in a stiff atmosphere at the US mission, soon after Trump complained in a Truth Social post that Ukraine‘s leadership had shown “zero gratitude” to the US for its efforts and Europe continued to buy Russian oil.
Rubio interrupted the meeting to speak to reporters, saying that the talks had been probably the best the US had held with Ukraine since Trump returned to power.
He said changes would be made to the plan to work towards a solution that both Ukraine and the US were comfortable with.
“Obviously this will ultimately have to be signed off with our presidents, although I feel very comfortable about that happening given the progress we’ve made,” said Rubio, who arrived in Geneva with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian delegation, was at pains to thank Trump for his commitment to Kyiv during the brief remarks, before he and Rubio returned to their talks. Minutes later, Zelenskyy himself offered thanks to Trump.
Since the US plan was announced, there has been confusion about who was involved in drawing it up. European allies said they had not been consulted.
As officials began meeting, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the goal was to craft a plan acceptable to Ukraine which could be used in a negotiation with Russia. “Right now, I’m not yet convinced we’re going to get the solution President Trump wants in the next few days,” Merz said on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Johannesburg.
Before heading to Geneva, Rubio insisted on X that Washington had authored the plan after remarks from some US senators suggesting otherwise.
Senator Angus King said Rubio had told senators the plan was not the administration’s position, but “essentially the wish-list of the Russians.”
Europeans have submitted a modified version of the US plan for Ukraine that pushes back on proposed limits to Kyiv’s armed forces and territorial concessions, according to a document seen by Reuters on Sunday.
–SABC–
