Zelenskyy: Legal Recognition of Russian Gains Is the 'Main Problem' in U.S. Peace Plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday identified the proposed legal recognition of Russian control over territory seized in eastern Ukraine as the chief obstacle to a 28-point U.S. peace framework being negotiated this week.

Ukrainian and U.S. delegations met over the weekend in Geneva to review the draft proposal and discuss next steps, including the possibility of a Zelenskyy visit to Washington as part of an effort to reach an agreement by Thanksgiving. President Trump has described that timeline as flexible and said the draft presented last week was not his final proposal.

Senator Marco Rubio, who attended the Geneva meetings, called the sessions "very, very meaningful," saying progress was made but that "there's still some work left to do." He later described the talks as "probably the most productive day we have had on this issue" since President Trump began his second term in January, while stressing that no agreement was final.

Speaking to Sweden's parliament, Zelenskyy made clear why the disputed clause is so sensitive: it would require Ukraine and the international community to formally accept that land now occupied by Russian forces is no longer Ukrainian.

"Putin wants legal recognition of what he has stolen, to break the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty," Zelenskyy said. "That's the main problem. You all understand what that means."

European leaders expressed mixed reactions. Finland's President Alexander Stubb said "major issues" remain unresolved but welcomed the progress reported from Geneva. Many European allies have voiced concern that the draft could be seen as too accommodating to Moscow.

The White House issued a statement saying U.S. and Ukrainian officials had "drafted an updated and refined peace framework" after the talks, but Russian officials said they had not yet received any official revisions and would reserve judgment. President Vladimir Putin indicated the U.S. proposal could form the basis for negotiations, while warning that Moscow would press its military advantage if Ukraine rejected the plan.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian officials were "closely monitoring" media reports about the Geneva talks but had not seen an official text of any revisions. He added that dialogue appeared to be continuing, though no U.S.-Russian meeting on the issue was planned for the immediate future.

Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, said Kyiv had not agreed to all terms in the leaked draft and emphasized that the proposal as drafted focused on ending military engagement rather than delivering justice or recognition of the truth of the aggression.

As negotiations continue, negotiators face the difficult task of balancing a ceasefire or settlement that could stop further bloodshed with Ukraine's insistence on preserving its territorial integrity — a principle many international partners say must be upheld.