Ukrainian officials have said they have reached an understanding with the US on a peace plan that is intended to end four years of fighting, the BBC reports.
The Americans and Ukrainians worked on the plan in Geneva over the weekend, and US President Donald Trump said in a post on social media that the plan was now well-worked out and reflected additional recommendations from both sides. Trump also said his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week, while US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll would meet with Ukrainian leaders this week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 25th of November that he was ready to meet with Trump to discuss the still unclear sensitive issues in the peace plan, and that he hoped to do so by the end of November. Zelensky added that he expects further active cooperation with the Americans, and much depends on it, as Russia is paying attention to US power. Zelensky reported on the 24th of November that the peace plan had been shortened. Meanwhile, Trump indicated that he expects to meet with Zelensky and Putin soon, but only when the peace plan is completed. He later told reporters that the agreement would provide for the renunciation of territories by both sides and the liberation of the border. Trump insisted that he had not given a specific deadline for the adoption of the peace plan, and that his deadline would be when “it is over.”
The Kremlin has said that there have been no consultations with Moscow on the revised peace plan and warned that it may not accept the latest revisions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow preferred the original outline of the peace plan and that the situation could fundamentally change if the plan is significantly revised. As of the morning of the 25th of November, the Kremlin had not yet received the latest version of the peace plan, and Lavrov accused Europe of trying to undermine US efforts to achieve peace. US officials have not publicly commented on Russia’s objections, but
Driscoll met with Kremlin representatives in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.
Some of the issues on which Kyiv and Moscow have different views have not yet been discussed, such as what security guarantees will be provided to Ukraine, as well as the return of Ukrainian territories to the Russians.
Despite the conditional optimism from the White House, European leaders are skeptical that peace is imminent. French President Emmanuel Macron said he saw no sign of Russian will to end the war, while the British warned that there was a long and difficult road ahead.
Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer co-chaired a remote meeting of the Coalition of Willing on the 25th of November, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also joined the call. The leaders agreed to create a joint working group with the US to speed up the development of security guarantees.
The issue of security guarantees is just one of the points where Kyiv and Moscow differ.
Zelensky said on the 24th of November that the main problem is the Kremlin’s demand for legal recognition of Russian rule in the occupied territories.
Since the US-drafted peace plan was leaked to the media on the 21st of November, diplomatic activity has resumed, which had stalled. The original plan called for Ukraine to return to Russia the territories it still controls, abandon plans to join NATO, and significantly reduce its army. These demands have drawn particular criticism because they directly reflect the Kremlin’s wishes.
Putin said the initial version of the plan could be the basis for a peace treaty, to which Zelensky responded by saying that Ukraine was faced with a choice: to keep the United States as an ally or to maintain respect. The Europeans have also objected to several parts of the plan. After talks in Geneva, the plan was changed, and it is reported that 19 of the 28 points remain.
Read also: How the Kremlin is driving Ukrainians to betray their country: money and fear
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