U.S., Ukraine tout 'updated and refined peace framework,' but details still scarce
CBC
The U.S. and Ukraine said they had created an "updated and refined peace framework" to end the war with Russia that apparently modified an earlier plan drafted by the Trump administration which Kyiv and its allies saw as too sympathetic to Moscow.
In a joint statement released after talks in Geneva between U.S. and Ukrainian delegations, the two sides said their discussion was "highly productive" and said they would continue in coming days. They did not provide specifics about a host of issues that must be resolved, including how to guarantee Kyiv's security from the threat posed by Russia.
In a separate statement, the White House said the new version included strengthened security guarantees, and that the Ukrainian delegation had said it "reflects their national interests." Ukrainian officials did not provide a separate statement of their own and were not immediately available for comment.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the talks, told reporters in Geneva that work remained to be done on questions including the role of NATO, but that his team had narrowed down unresolved issues in a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine championed by President Donald Trump.
Earlier, Trump said Ukraine had not been grateful for American efforts over the war, prompting Ukrainian officials to stress their gratitude to the U.S. president for his support.
European officials joined the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations for talks after crafting a modified version of the U.S. plan that pushes back on proposed limits to Kyiv's armed forces and mooted territorial concessions.
The European plan proposes that Ukraine be granted a larger military than under the U.S. plan and that talks on land swaps should start from the front line rather than a pre-determined view of which areas should be considered Russian.
Trump has said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has 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. Trump has said his proposal is not a final offer.
Rubio said the United States still needed time to address the pending issues. He hoped a deal could be reached by Thursday but suggested that it could also take longer.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials were discussing the possibility of Zelenskyy traveling to the United States, maybe as early as this week, to discuss the U.S. peace plan with Trump, two sources familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
The main idea is that they would discuss the most sensitive issues in the peace plan, such as the matter of territory, one of the sources said. There is no confirmed date for now, the source added.
The main talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials got under way in a stiff atmosphere at the U.S. mission, soon after Trump complained in a Truth Social post that Ukraine's leadership had shown "zero gratitude" to the U.S. for its efforts and Europe continued to buy Russian oil.
Rubio interrupted the meeting to speak to reporters, saying the talks had been probably the best the U.S. had held with Ukraine since Trump returned to power.
