The statements were very mixed: French President Macron saw no willingness in Moscow for talks regarding the Ukraine plans presented by the US. US President Trump said “there are only a few points of disagreement remaining”.
French President Emmanuel Macron sees no signs that Russia is ready to end the war against Ukraine. “Russia is clearly not ready for a ceasefire at the moment,” Macron told reporters after a video conference called the Coalition of the Willing to Support Ukraine.
In his remarks, Macron cited information from “several participants” who reported at the conference about their “direct exchanges with Russia, especially with President Putin.” In addition to its reluctance to end the war, the Kremlin has also shown no “willingness to talk” about US plans for Ukraine. Macron demanded that pressure continue to be put on the Russian leadership so they can start negotiations.
The willing coalition includes around 30 predominantly European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Poland and the UK, but also Canada and Turkey. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also took part in the video conference.
“NO Restrictions” for the Ukrainian army
On Sunday, delegations from the United States, Ukraine and several European countries held talks in Geneva on America’s proposed 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. In the original version, this was largely in line with the interests of the Russian aggressor.
According to this plan, Ukraine should stop joining NATO, reduce its armed forces and hand over the entire Donbass to Russia. The 28-point plan only vaguely addresses security guarantees intended to protect Ukraine from new attacks by Russia. According to European information, this change of plan was achieved during talks in Geneva.
The talks in Geneva showed that “there should be no restrictions” on Ukrainian troops, Macron said. A “strong Ukrainian army” is needed to prevent Russia from attacking again even if there is a peace agreement.
Paris and London lead the working group “security forces”
The French president said that a working group of “security forces” would be created on Wednesday, which would serve as a “second line of defense” to “strengthen the Ukrainian army” in the event of a deal between Russia and Ukraine. The group will be led by France and Britain, and Türkiye will be closely involved due to its “important role” in the navy.
The US is also taking part in these negotiations for the first time. The aim is to clarify each country’s contribution in the “days ahead” and ultimately determine “security guarantees”. This is “indispensable to negotiating a credible peace” as well as “keeping the pressure on Russia.”
Von der Leyen: Increase pressure on Russia
According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the “coalition of the willing” made it clear they would maintain pressure on Russia. “As pressure remains the only language Russia uses to respond, we will continue to escalate it until there is a real will to pursue a credible path to peace,” von der Leyen wrote in her post on X.
The coalition confirmed this via video link with the US Secretary of State. The coalition will continue to support Ukraine. This also includes financial resources such as frozen Russian state assets.
The federal government announced in the evening that the heads of state and government of the “Coalition of the Will” had expressed their full support for Ukraine – and for the just and lasting peace that is the right of the Ukrainian people. Any solution must “fully engage Ukraine, safeguard its sovereignty, and guarantee long-term security.”
Trump is confident, White House is cautious
US President Donald Trump once again expressed his optimism regarding an early breakthrough in Ukraine negotiations. “I think we’re close to a deal,” Trump said in Washington at the traditional turkey pardon before the family holiday of Thanksgiving.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump later wrote that he had instructed US special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. “There are only a few points of contention remaining.” The Secretary of State of the Army, Dan Driscoll, will meet with the Ukrainian side. Trump did not give a specific time for either meeting.
White House spokespeople were somewhat more reserved. Presidential spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that some “sensitive but not insurmountable” points in the US plan still needed to be clarified in talks with Ukraine and Russia.
Last Friday, Ukraine’s President set the deadline for approval of the US plan at Thanksgiving this Thursday. But Trump did not repeat the request. Leavitt wrote on the online service X that “further discussions between Ukraine, Russia and the United States” were needed.
Kremlin sees Trump plan as “good basis”
Despite ongoing negotiations over changing the initial 28-point plan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov defended it: “At the moment, the only thing that matters is the American project, the Trump project. We believe that this could be an excellent basis for negotiations. We continue to stick to this position,” Peskov said.
Due to the closeness of its content to Russian demands and some of the unusual wording, suspicions arose after the US plans were made public that the paper was a translation from Russian. On the sidelines of a security conference in Canada, several US senators spoke out and reported: In a telephone conversation, Secretary of State Rubio told them that the 28-point plan did not come from the American pen.
