US, Ukraine craft revised peace plan in ‘best ever talks’ of Trump’s tenure

In an effort to put an end to the almost four-year-old conflict with Russia, the United States and Ukraine declared on Sunday that they had revised and improved their peace framework. The changes address serious concerns that a previous version, supported by President Donald Trump, was unduly favorable to Moscow. They come after high-level negotiations in Geneva.

The high-stakes negotiations were “very worthwhile,” according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said they were perhaps the best the US had with Ukraine since Trump took office. Nevertheless, neither the US nor Ukraine disclosed information regarding the content of the negotiations or the updated plan.

Rubio also played down the Thursday deadline set by Trump for Ukraine to reply to the plan, emphasizing that the aim was to cease the conflict as quickly as possible. Negotiations could go on Monday and beyond, he indicated.

The latest event follows Trump’s claim that Ukraine had not expressed gratitude for American services throughout the conflict, which prompted Ukrainian President Vlodymir Zelensky to emphasize their appreciation for the US president’s backing. “This is a very delicate moment,” Rubio said of what still needed to be worked out. “Some of it is semantics, or language. Others require higher-level decisions and consultations. Others, I think, just need more time to work through.”

At this point, it’s unclear how Ukraine’s security against Russia will be ensured and what NATO’s role would be. Strengthened security guarantees are part of the updated plan, according to a separate White House statement, and the Ukrainian delegation stated the framework “reflects their national interests.” There was no additional comment from Ukrainian officials.

A revised version of the original US plan was put up by European officials who took part in the negotiations; it opposes proposed restrictions on Kyiv’s armed forces and territory concessions. Negotiations on possible territory swaps would begin from existing frontlines rather than presumptions about which lands should be Russian under the European approach, which would allow Ukraine to maintain a larger military than under the US plan.

The 28-point original roadmap developed by the US had sparked anxiety in Kyiv and other European capitals. Zelenskyy has cautioned that his nation may soon have to choose between maintaining the vital American help it depends on and defending its sovereign rights.

Zelenskyy has consistently and unequivocally rejected a number of Russian requests, including the ceding of substantial portions of territory, which are accommodated in the proposal. Following the Geneva negotiations, Rubio said that the initial plan’s unanswered questions had been reduced.