The ongoing discussions in Geneva (Switzerland) appear to be fruitful. The United States and Ukraine emphasized late Sunday in a joint statement published by the White House that “a future peace agreement” to end the conflict with Russia “must fully respect the sovereignty” of Kyiv, following talks in Geneva between America, Ukraine and Europe. This is the main criticism leveled against the 28-point plan Washington released last Thursday. What is the content of this press release?
“The talks were constructive, focused on goals and mutual respect, emphasizing a shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace,” the White House wrote in a statement with the Ukrainian delegation present in Geneva.
This is the biggest step forward in this joint agreement: it acknowledges that peace will probably not be included in the 28-point plan announced last week, and that Ukraine’s wishes should be given more consideration.
Both sides “reaffirmed that any future agreement must fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty,” according to the brief text, which stipulates that “following discussions, the parties developed a renewed and improved peace framework.”
Progress that appears, according to the White House, to satisfy Kyiv: “Ukraine’s representatives affirmed that, based on the revisions and clarifications presented today, they believe that the current draft legislation reflects their national interests and provides a credible and workable mechanism to guarantee Ukraine’s security in the short and long term,” the White House wrote.
“A significant step forward”
The White House added that the Ukrainian delegation believed that “all its key concerns (security guarantees, long-term economic development, infrastructure protection, freedom of navigation and political sovereignty) were fully considered at the meeting.”
The American Presidency welcomed the progress of the discussions that took place this Sunday in Switzerland, in the presence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The exchange was a “significant step forward” towards a peaceful settlement in the warring country. America’s diplomacy chief previously said he was “very optimistic” about the possibility of reaching a deal “very quickly”.
The Geneva discussions, which officially concluded on Sunday evening, were held based on American President Donald Trump’s 28-point plan aimed at ending the conflict caused by Russia’s nearly four-year invasion that began on February 24, 2022.
In Geneva, Ukrainian negotiator Andriï Iermak, Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man, also reported “very good progress” in the discussions, after the Ukrainian president indicated that the new version of the American plan “already reflects most of the main priorities” of Kyiv.
Donald Trump gave Zelensky until November 27 to respond, before declaring on Saturday that the plan was not his “final offer.”
An earlier version of the document had drawn opposition from Kiev and its European allies, who came to Geneva on Sunday to avert peace in the form of surrender.
It remains to be seen how the rest will be arranged. “The final decision within this framework will be made by the presidents of Ukraine and the United States,” said the joint statement, which continued: “Both sides welcomed the progress that has been made and agreed to continue consultations as we progress toward finalizing the agreement. The meeting concluded with the shared belief that today marks a significant step forward and that close and continued coordination will be essential,” the White House said.
