Ukraine and Western Envoys Meet in Geneva to Press Revisions to U.S. Peace Blueprint

Top Ukrainian and European envoys convened in Geneva to coordinate ahead of talks with a U.S. delegation about a 28-point peace proposal intended to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials and their Western partners said they are united in seeking changes to elements of the draft that Kyiv and many European capitals view as overly favorable to Moscow.

Andrii Yermak, head of the Ukrainian delegation and presidential chief of staff, said on social media that his team held an initial meeting with national security advisers from the U.K., France and Germany, and that talks with the U.S. delegation were next.

“We are in a very constructive mood,” Yermak wrote. “We continue working together to achieve a lasting and just peace for Ukraine.”

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was reported to be part of the U.S. delegation traveling to Geneva. Several other senior U.S. officials were expected to participate.

Before the meetings began, former U.S. President Donald Trump posted a lengthy message online criticizing Ukraine’s leadership for what he described as insufficient gratitude for U.S. military support and criticizing European partners for continuing to buy Russian oil. Trump called for a speedy end to the conflict but did not offer details on how the current proposal might change.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was awaiting the outcome of the talks and emphasized that any agreement must stop the bloodshed and prevent a return to war. He said U.S. negotiators had indicated they would consider “a number of elements” important to Ukraine’s interests but did not elaborate.

Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and a member of the Geneva delegation, said the proposals under discussion already included “many Ukrainian priorities” and that U.S. partners were working closely with Kyiv to address its concerns.

Contested plan and political fallout

The 28-point blueprint has alarmed Kyiv and several European capitals because it reportedly accommodates elements sought by Moscow — including provisions that critics say could amount to territorial concessions by Ukraine. Ukrainian leaders and Western ministers have stressed they will not accept forced territorial losses.

France’s minister delegate at the Defense Ministry, Alice Rufo, warned that restrictions on Ukraine’s armed forces under the plan could amount to “a limitation on its sovereignty.” “Ukraine must be able to defend itself,” she said.

Confusion over the plan’s authorship and content intensified after some U.S. senators said they were told by colleagues that the draft resembled a Russian wish list. A State Department spokesperson later disputed that account. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the proposal looked too one-sided and had provoked strong pushback in Europe.

Regional diplomacy continues

Separately, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about reviving a July 2022 agreement that had allowed safe Black Sea shipments of Ukrainian grain — a deal Ankara and Kyiv have linked to broader efforts to ease tensions. Erdogan said he would press Putin to revisit the corridor, which he described as a partial success toward stabilizing food exports and opening channels for diplomacy.

Officials said more rounds of consultations were possible as diplomats worked to reconcile divergent positions and produce a text acceptable to Ukraine and its allies.

Reporting: Davies. Contributions: Claudia Ciobanu, Samya Kullab, Cinar Kiper, Thomas Strong and Sylvie Corbet.