LONDON / GENEVA — High-stakes diplomatic negotiations opened in Geneva on Sunday as U.S., Ukrainian and European officials convened to discuss a controversial American-Russian peace proposal that critics have labeled a potential capitulation by Ukraine.
The U.S. delegation — including Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and envoy Steve Witkoff — is expected to hold a series of formal meetings with Ukrainian representatives throughout the day, a senior American official told ABC News. Driscoll reportedly held “positive and constructive” preliminary talks with Kyiv’s team late Saturday.
Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office and leader of the Ukrainian delegation, wrote on social media that Ukraine was entering discussions in a “very constructive mood” and maintaining close coordination with European partners.
Pressure Over Peace Proposal
Tensions surrounding the negotiations intensified after a high-ranking Ukrainian official told ABC News that Washington has warned of a complete halt of military assistance if Kyiv rejects the 28-point peace plan. Such a halt would include air-defense missiles, intelligence cooperation and broader military support.
The plan — drafted in consultation with the Kremlin and with input from Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council secretary Rustem Umerov — appears to make major concessions to Russian demands. Key provisions include:
- Ukraine cutting its armed forces by more than half
- Ceding territory not currently occupied by Russia
- A ban on long-range weapons for Ukraine
- Recognition, in some form, of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea
Despite receiving the proposal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow had not yet been briefed on it in detail and suggested Washington had failed to secure Kyiv’s agreement.
A Difficult Decision Ahead
In a national address Friday, Zelenskyy called the moment “one of the most difficult in our history,” suggesting Ukraine now faces a grave choice between “dignity” and “the risk of losing a key partner.” He vowed to continue working with Washington to search for “constructive solutions,” promising to present arguments and offer alternatives.
Speaking from Switzerland on Sunday, Zelenskyy described the renewed diplomatic push as “good” and reiterated that “the bloodshed must be stopped”, while stressing that Ukraine must not remain vulnerable to future attacks.
His statement came as Russia launched 98 drones overnight, 69 of which were intercepted or suppressed by Ukraine’s air force. Zelenskyy urged foreign partners to accelerate air-defense deliveries alongside the negotiations.
Confusion in Washington
Uncertainty around the authorship of the peace proposal continued Saturday after a bipartisan group of U.S. senators reported that Marco Rubio told them by phone that the plan originated in Russia. Rubio later denied that account online, asserting that “the peace proposal was authored by the U.S.” but acknowledged it incorporated input from both Moscow and Kyiv.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signaled that the 28-point offer may not be final. Asked if this was Washington’s last proposal, he replied: “No. We’d like to get to peace. One way or another we’ll get it ended.”