Ukraine has an ‘updated and refined’ peace framework
Emma Farge and Olivia Le Poidevin |
The US and Ukraine say they have created an “updated and refined peace framework” to end the war with Russia.
The agreement apparently modifies 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 US and Ukrainian delegations on Sunday, 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.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the talks, said 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.
“And we have achieved that today in a very substantial way,” Rubio told reporters at the US mission in Geneva.
The main talks between US and Ukrainian officials got under way in a stiff atmosphere at the US mission, soon after Trump complained in a Truth Social post that Ukraine’s leadership had shown “zero gratitude” to the US for its efforts and Europe continued to buy Russian oil.
European officials joined the US and Ukrainian delegations for talks after crafting a modified version of the US 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 US 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 had said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy 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 US still needed time to address the pending issues. He hoped a deal could be reached by Thursday but suggested it could take longer.
Officials were discussing the possibility of Zelenskiy travelling to the US, maybe as early as this week, to discuss the US peace plan with Trump, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Rubio interrupted the meeting to speak to reporters, saying the talks had been probably the best the US had held with Ukraine since Trump returned to power.
“Obviously this will ultimately have to be signed off with our presidents, although I feel very comfortable about that happening given the progress we’ve made,” said Rubio.
The draft US plan, which includes many of Russia’s key demands and offers only vague assurances to Ukraine of “robust security guarantees”, comes at a perilous moment for Kyiv.
Russia has been making gains on parts of the front, albeit slowly and, according to Western and Ukrainian officials, the advances have been extremely costly in terms of lives lost.
The transportation hub of Pokrovsk has been partially taken by Russian forces and Ukrainian commanders say they don’t have enough soldiers to prevent small, persistent incursions.
Ukraine’s power and gas facilities have been pummelled by drone and missile attacks, meaning millions of people are without water, heating and power for hours each day.
Zelenskiy has warned that Ukraine risked losing its dignity and freedom – or Washington’s backing – over the US plan.
Kyiv had taken heart in recent weeks after the United States tightened sanctions on Russia’s oil sector, the main source of funding for the war, while its own long-range drone and missile strikes have caused considerable damage to the industry.
But the draft peace plan appears to hand the diplomatic advantage back to Moscow. Ukraine relies heavily on US intelligence and weapons to sustain its war against Russia.
Reuters
