The United States and Ukraine say they have made meaningful progress on a revised peace proposal, confirming on Sunday that negotiators have produced an “updated and refined peace framework” following several days of intensive discussions in Geneva.
In a joint statement, both governments described the US-backed negotiations as “highly productive” and confirmed that work on the plan would continue in the coming days, even as the initial round of talks has now concluded.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the parties had made a “tremendous amount of progress” in narrowing differences within the proposal. However, he stressed that “some work” remained before any finalised agreement could be presented to Russia.
The first draft of the plan, leaked last week, received a cautious response from Moscow, but leaders in Kyiv and across Europe expressed concern that it leaned too heavily in Russia’s favour.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Moscow had not yet received any information about the outcome of the Geneva discussions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the Swedish parliament, described the negotiations as a “critical moment” for Ukraine, noting “signals that President Trump’s team is hearing us”. He insisted that Russia’s demand for international recognition of its territorial claims remained “the main problem”.
“Putin wants legal recognition for what he has stolen… not only from Ukraine but from the whole world,” Zelensky said. He added that Kyiv had succeeded in keeping “sensitive points”, including the release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war, on the table.
Rubio said late on Sunday that negotiators had had a “very good day”, significantly reducing the number of unresolved “open items” in the 28-point document. However, he noted that any final proposal must be approved by both the US and Ukrainian presidents before it can be put to Russia.
The positive account of progress came shortly after President Trump accused Kyiv’s leadership of showing “zero gratitude” for Washington’s efforts to end the war. Trump also criticised European nations, many of Ukraine’s strongest backers, for continuing to purchase Russian oil, revenue that Moscow relies on to finance its invasion.
European leaders acknowledged the progress made in Geneva but warned that key issues remained unresolved. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, writing on X, said that while negotiations had “taken a step forward”, major challenges continued. He also emphasised that any decisions relating to EU or NATO policy would be handled separately by member states.
A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the “significant progress” in Sunday’s talks while noting that “outstanding issues” still needed to be addressed. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk radio that the Geneva meetings had been a “decisive success” for Europeans, saying that matters relating to Europe and NATO had been removed from the proposal.
European Council President Antonio Costa also stressed the need for a “united and coordinated EU position” to ensure a positive outcome for Ukraine and the wider region.
Several media outlets, including Reuters, have reported the existence of an alternative peace plan drafted by European allies, led by the UK, France, and Germany though reports have not independently verified its contents. Rubio denied any knowledge of the reported document.
Major elements of the US-backed draft have emerged through recent leaks. The plan includes Ukraine withdrawing forces from parts of Donetsk currently under its control and international recognition of Russia’s hold over Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea. It also proposes freezing the front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, limiting Ukraine’s military to 600,000 personnel, down from about 880,000, and committing Kyiv not to join NATO.
In return, the draft promises unspecified “reliable security guarantees” for Ukraine. It also states that Russia would be “reintegrated into the global economy”, including through lifting sanctions and re-admitting Moscow to the G7, returning it to the G8.
President Trump had initially given Ukraine until Thursday to accept the proposals but later said the draft was not a “final offer”. Rubio said he remained “very optimistic” that an agreement could be finalised soon, whether by Thursday or shortly after.
Questions over the authorship of the plan circulated last week after senators claimed Rubio had described it as a Russian proposal. Rubio rejected that account, insisting the draft had been written by the US with “input” from Moscow and Kyiv. The State Department also dismissed the senators’ claims as “blatantly false”.
