GENEVA, Nov 23 (Reuters) – European, Ukrainian, and U.S. officials met in Geneva on Sunday to review a U.S.-proposed draft peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting followed concerns from Kyiv and its allies, who argue that the proposal gives significant advantages to Russia, the aggressor in the conflict.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has until Thursday to decide on the 28-point plan. The proposal includes conditions requiring Ukraine to surrender some of its territory, limit its military capabilities, and abandon its goal of joining NATO.
For many Ukrainians — especially those fighting on the front lines — these terms are seen as surrender after nearly four years of war, the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Since the proposal became public, confusion has grown over who was involved in drafting it. Several European governments said they were not consulted beforehand.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that Ukraine’s allies were prepared to engage with the proposal, but added: “Before we begin, we should know who exactly created this plan and where it came from.”
A U.S. official confirmed that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Geneva on Sunday to participate in discussions aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“We hope to finalize key elements and work toward a deal that benefits Ukraine,” the official said. However, they emphasized that no agreement will be finalized until Trump and Zelenskiy meet in person.
Before departing for Geneva, Rubio stated that the current draft is not the final version of Washington’s proposal.
According to a U.S. official, preliminary coordination meetings were scheduled for Sunday morning, followed by a full day of formal talks between Ukrainian and American representatives. The official also described prior exchanges between both sides as “positive and constructive,” speaking anonymously.
The draft plan includes several of Russia’s main demands while offering only general promises of “strong security guarantees” for Ukraine — a fact that raises concerns at a critical moment for Kyiv.
Russia continues to make slow but steady advances in eastern and southern regions, reportedly suffering heavy losses in the process. Russian forces have partially seized Pokrovsk, an important transport hub, and Ukrainian commanders warn they are facing troop shortages as they attempt to block repeated Russian incursions.
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