A tremendous amount of progress has been achieved in talks to finalize a US-proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
But there's still some work to be done, Rubio said after meeting Ukrainian and European negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there were signals that President [Donald] Trump's team is hearing us.
Ukraine and its European allies had expressed concern over the leaked proposals, seen as favoring Russia and welcomed by Vladimir Putin as the basis for settlement. Zelensky had said Ukraine might face a very difficult choice: either losing dignity, or risk losing a key partner.
Speaking to reporters late on Sunday, Rubio said the negotiating teams in Geneva had had a very good day. He stated that the main goal had been to try to narrow the open items from the 28-point US plan, marking substantial progress during discussions.
However, any final agreement would need approval from Ukrainian and US presidents before being sent to Russia, and several issues remain to be addressed.
According to recent reports, an alternative plan from Kyiv's European allies led by the UK, France, and Germany is in circulation, though Rubio claimed he was unaware of its existence.
Earlier, Trump criticized Ukraine's leadership for showing zero gratitude toward US efforts to mediate peace, while urging them to consider proposals amidst continued European oil purchases from Russia, which finances Moscow's military actions.
The ongoing talks are focused on a US draft that includes significant military and territorial concessions from Ukraine. This draft limits Ukraine's military to 600,000 personnel, freezes borders in southern regions, and pledges not to pursue NATO membership in exchange for unspecified security assurances.
As negotiations continue, Trump has set a deadline for Ukraine to respond by the end of the week, though he indicated there might be room for adjustments in the proposals presented.
