A “significant degree of advancement” has been made in discussions to finalize a US-endorsed peace initiative aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
However, Rubio pointed out that “there’s still some tasks remaining,” after his meeting with Ukrainian and European negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that there were “indications that President [Donald] Trump’s team is receptive to our concerns.”
Ukraine and its European partners had voiced worries regarding the leaked proposals, perceived as leaning towards Russia and welcomed by Vladimir Putin as laying the groundwork for a resolution. Zelensky expressed that Ukraine “may confront a very tough decision: either sacrificing dignity, or risking the loss of a crucial ally.”
Addressing journalists late Sunday, Rubio remarked that the negotiations in Geneva had gone exceedingly well.
He noted that the primary objective was to reduce the “open items” from the 28-point US plan – and that the involved parties had made considerable headway in this regard.
Nonetheless, the US’s leading diplomat emphasized that any final accord would need the approval of the Ukrainian and US presidents before being presented to Russia, and that a few issues still required ongoing discussions.
A joint statement from the US and Ukraine released later on Sunday indicated that an “enhanced and refined peace framework” had been accepted by both nations, and that they concurred to “intensively work on joint proposals in the upcoming days.”
Various media sources reported having encountered an alternative proposal from Kyiv’s European allies headed by the UK, France, and Germany. The BBC has not verified the document, and Rubio denied having any information regarding its existence.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump criticized Ukraine’s leaders for displaying “no appreciation” for US efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The US president further highlighted that Europe – which includes some of Kyiv’s strongest allies – continued to import oil from Russia.
Moscow heavily depends on its oil and gas revenues to sustain its military operations in Ukraine.
The Geneva discussions are centered on the US draft, the leaked version of which entails a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the eastern Donetsk region that they presently occupy, alongside the de facto Russian control of Donetsk, as well as the adjacent Luhansk region and the southern Crimea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
The plan additionally encompasses freezing the borders of Ukraine’s southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia territories along the existing combat lines. Both areas are partially controlled by Russia.
The US proposal also caps Ukraine’s military forces at 600,000 personnel, down from approximately 880,000 currently.
Crucially, the draft incorporates a commitment from Ukraine not to pursue NATO membership. Instead, Kyiv would obtain “reliable security assurances,” the specifics of which have not been disclosed.
The document states that “it is anticipated” that Russia will refrain from invading its neighbors and that NATO will not expand further.
The draft also proposes Russia’s “reincorporation into the global economy,” through the lifting of sanctions and an invitation for Russia to rejoin the G7 group of the world’s leading nations, restoring it to the G8.
Currently, Russia controls around 20% of Ukrainian land, and its forces have been making steady progress along the extensive front line, despite reported significant losses.
Trump has given Ukraine until this upcoming Thursday to accept the proposals.
However, he later stated that this was not his “final proposition” for Kyiv, following concerns expressed by Ukraine’s allies from Europe, Canada, and Japan.
Rubio informed reporters on Sunday that he was “very hopeful that we’ll reach an agreement in a reasonably short time frame, whether that be Thursday, other days, or the following Monday.”
Prior to the commencement of the talks in Geneva, Rubio and the State Department had to confirm that the widely-leaked plan had been created by the US.
This followed claims from a bipartisan group of US senators asserting that the secretary of state had informed them the draft was a Russian proposal and did not reflect the Trump administration’s stance.
Rubio countered this narrative, stating that it had been drafted by the US with “input” from both Moscow and Kyiv, while a spokesperson for the State Department characterized the senators’ account of their dialogue with Rubio as “blatantly incorrect.”
