Ukraine states that an ‘agreement’ has been achieved regarding the US peace initiative, while Trump’s envoy is set to meet with Putin.

Ukraine has announced that a “shared consensus” has been achieved with the US regarding a peace agreement intended to conclude the conflict with Russia.

This initiative is derived from a 28-point outline submitted to Kyiv by the US last week, which representatives from both nations collaborated on during discussions held over the weekend in Geneva.

In a social media statement, US President Donald Trump mentioned that the initial strategy “has been refined, incorporating additional perspectives from both parties”.

He indicated that he had instructed his special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, while US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll is anticipated to confer with Ukrainian leaders this week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday that he is prepared to meet Trump to address lingering “sensitive issues”, with his administration aiming for an encounter before the month’s end.

“I am looking forward to enhanced cooperation with the American side and with President (Donald) Trump. A lot depends on America, as Russia closely observes American influence,” he remarked.

The day prior, Zelensky mentioned that the 28-point framework had been condensed, with some elements eliminated.

Trump shared on social media that he anticipates meetings with Presidents Zelensky and Putin “in the near future, but ONLY when the agreement to conclude this War is FINAL or nearing completion”.

Later, the president informed reporters that the agreement would entail territorial concessions “from both sides” and “efforts to clarify the border”.

Trump noted that he had not set a deadline for either party to agree to a deal, stating “the deadline for me is when it concludes”.

The Kremlin had previously indicated that Russia had not yet been consulted regarding the new draft agreement, cautioning that it may not accept changes made to last week’s proposal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov remarked that while Moscow had supported the original US framework, the circumstances would be “entirely different” if it were to undergo major modifications.

As of Tuesday morning, Lavrov stated that the Kremlin had not received the new plan, accusing Europe of undermining US peace initiatives.

US officials have not publicly responded to Russia’s apprehensions, although Driscoll and Russian officials had discussions on Monday and Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.

Many of the matters over which Russia and Ukraine remain in significant disagreement have reportedly still not been addressed, such as security assurances for Kyiv and control of various regions in eastern Ukraine where combat is ongoing.

Despite the White House’s relative optimism, European leaders have appeared skeptical that, after nearly four years of conflict, peace could be imminent. French President Emmanuel Macron noted he discerned “no Russian willingness for a ceasefire”, while Downing Street emphasized there remains “a long journey ahead – a challenging path”.

On Tuesday, Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer led a meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing, a loose collective of Ukraine’s allies in Europe and beyond who have committed to sustaining defense support in the event of a ceasefire, including preliminary discussions regarding a potential peacekeeping force.

During the call – which also included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – the leaders agreed to form a task force with the US to “speed up” efforts on the security assurances that could be extended to Ukraine.

The matter of security assurances is just one of the areas of contention between Moscow and Kyiv. On Monday, Zelensky stated that the “primary obstacle” impeding peace was Putin’s requirement for legal acknowledgment of the territories annexed by Russia.

Moscow has consistently insisted on a complete Ukrainian withdrawal from all of the eastern Donbas, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russian troops continue to control the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, as well as significant portions of two additional regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

Following weeks of stagnation in diplomatic efforts, there has been a surge of activity since the US-backed proposal was leaked.

The initial document encompassed Ukraine agreeing to concede regions it currently controls, pledging to refrain from joining NATO and drastically reducing its military size – aspects that seemed to align with key demands from the Kremlin.

While Putin mentioned that the original document could serve as the “foundation” for an agreement, Zelensky countered that Ukraine must choose between retaining the US as an ally and its “dignity”. European leaders resisted several components.

On the eve of discussions concerning the proposal in Geneva on Sunday between American, European, and Ukrainian officials, Rubio was compelled to publicly affirm it was “created by the US” after a group of senators alleged he had conveyed that it was essentially a Russian draft, not the administration’s stance.

Since then, both the US and Ukraine have acknowledged progress on the draft, with Zelensky stating it represented “the appropriate approach” following the incorporation of changes.

While Trump had initially urged Ukraine to swiftly accept the plan, he informed reporters on Tuesday that the original iteration “was merely a map”, adding: “That was not an agreement, it was a concept.”

Additionally on Tuesday, Bloomberg released a transcript of what it described as a call on 14 October between Trump’s diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy advisor.

In response to the transcript – in which Witkoff supposedly discussed how the Kremlin should engage with Trump, and noted that Ukraine would need to concede territory to secure a peace agreement – Trump told reporters it represented a “very typical method of negotiations”. BBC News has not independently verified the alleged leaked conversation.

Meanwhile, hostilities persist. Both Russia and Ukraine reported that strikes occurred on Tuesday night in Zaporizhzhia.

The regional head of Ukraine there, Ivan Federov, stated at least seven individuals had been injured, while Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-appointed governor, indicated that Kyiv had targeted energy infrastructure in contested areas, resulting in approximately 40,000 residents being without power.

Tens of thousands of soldiers and countless civilians have suffered casualties, and millions have fled their residences since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine commenced in February 2022.