Previous proposals favorable to Moscow appear to have been ignored. The United States and Ukraine on the night of Sunday 23 November to Monday 24 November claimed to have drafted the law “a new and improved version of the peace agreement framework” with Russia, Who “must fully respect sovereignty” Kyiv, the two countries underlined in a joint statement.
The Geneva discussions, which concluded on Sunday evening, were held based on US President Donald Trump’s 28-point plan aimed at ending the conflict caused by Russia’s nearly four-year invasion launched on February 24, 2022.
“The talks were constructive, focused on goals and mutual respect, emphasizing our shared commitment to achieving just and lasting peace”wrote the White House, welcoming this “a significant step forward” towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Present in Switzerland, American diplomacy chief Marco Rubio previously said “very optimistic” about possible conclusions “very fast” a deal, although there are still many unknowns.
In Geneva, Ukrainian negotiator Andriï Iermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man, also reported “very good progress”after Ukraine’s president welcomed a new version of the American plan that mirrored “has become most of the top priorities” from Kiev.
Donald Trump gave Volodymyr Zelensky until November 27 to respond, then specified that his 28-point plan would not be his. “final offer” definitive. An earlier version of the document had drawn opposition from Kyiv and its European allies – Paris, London, Berlin and Rome – who came to Geneva on Sunday to avoid peace in the form of surrender.
Welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the initial text of Trump’s plan included several key demands for Moscow: that Ukraine cede territory, agree to reduce the size of its army, and abandon NATO membership. While offering Western security guarantees to Kyiv to prevent further Russian attacks. The text also proposes an end to Russia’s isolation from the West, with reintegration into the G8 and a gradual lifting of sanctions.
“We have made great progress”welcomes back Marco Rubio, believes in it “points that remain unresolved are not insurmountable” and left the door open for a delay after the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday. But the Secretary of State, who is also the White House national security adviser, warned that Russia would do the same. “they said”.
Discussions should continue this Monday, November 24, even though Marco Rubio has left Geneva. Volodymyr Zelensky is likely to travel to the United States as early as this week to discuss the most sensitive aspects of the plan with Donald Trump, according to sources close to the matter cited by Reuters.
A meeting of EU leaders is planned for Monday, on the sidelines of a summit with their African counterparts in Angola, and French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday’s meeting via videoconference of countries that support Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who acts as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow, announced that he would speak by telephone on Monday with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which was confirmed by the Kremlin.
On the ground, Russia’s nighttime attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the country’s second most populous city before the invasion launched by Moscow in February 2022, left four people dead and 17 others injured, the city’s mayor announced late Sunday into Monday. “Despite peace negotiations” regarding Ukraine, “Russian troops attacked (…) residential buildings,” said Igor Terekhov, mayor of this city near the Russian border.
Russia targets its country almost every day using drones or missiles. Energy infrastructure has been a major target, raising fears of a severe winter in Ukraine. Kyiv, for its part, regularly targets oil depots and refineries and other installations on the Russian side.
