“Good progress,” despite confusing comments from Donald Trump. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was “very optimistic” that a deal could be reached “very quickly” on the war in Ukraine, after a day of talks in Geneva with Ukrainian and European officials. Here’s what to remember from this Sunday’s discussion.
“Progress” was praised by Marco Rubio and Ukrainian negotiators
Delegates from Ukraine and the United States gathered at the American Representation in Geneva, Switzerland. On the American side, there were Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and the supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich.
The head of American diplomacy spoke to reporters about “the most productive and significant meeting so far in this entire process”, but acknowledged that “there is still work to be done”.
“We have made very good progress,” said negotiator Andriï Iermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man, who was accompanying him, before returning to discussions.
Trump attacks Kiev’s perceived “ungratefulness”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump accused Ukrainian leaders of “showing no gratitude” to the United States. “I inherited a war that should never have happened, a loss for everyone,” the president wrote in capital letters on his social networks.
“Ukrainian officials have expressed no gratitude for our efforts, and Europe continues to buy oil from Russia,” he continued. “The United States continues to sell large quantities of weapons to NATO for distribution to Ukraine (Joe the Crapule giving everything, free, free, free, including “huge” amounts of money!),” the president added.
An important message that Volodymyr Zelensky immediately responded to. “Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart and personally to President Trump for its assistance, starting with the Javelin, which saved the lives of Ukrainians,” the Ukrainian president said in his message on X, referring to the American-made anti-tank missile.
European allies step up discussions
In Geneva, American, Ukrainian and European delegations, including France, also held numerous meetings this Sunday, and European countries tried not to be left behind in the negotiations around the plan.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is traveling in Africa, spoke by telephone with the Ukrainian president, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was “sceptical” about the possibility of reaching an agreement on the plan by November 27.
“The task now is to make the plan (…) into a viable document,” Friedrich Merz said at the G20 summit in Johannesburg. He indicated that he had made a proposal, currently being discussed in Geneva, that would make it possible to “take at least the first steps on Thursday”.
Also from South Africa, Giorgia Meloni said there was no need to put forward a “complete counterproposal” to the American plan. The Italian prime minister said the discussions were at a “very difficult stage” and were a “test of maturity” for Europe.
“Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. Ukraine has chosen the fate of Europe,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, stressing that the European Union’s “central” role must be “fully recognised” in any peace plan in Ukraine.
London also wants to work for peace
Gathering at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, 11 mostly European countries said in a statement on Saturday that the American plan “will require additional efforts”, fearing it would leave Ukraine “vulnerable to future attacks”.
A meeting of EU leaders on Ukraine is planned for Monday, on the sidelines of a summit with African leaders in Angola, and the French president announced a meeting on Tuesday via videoconference of countries that support Ukraine.
Shortly after his critical remarks regarding Kyiv, US President Donald Trump spoke with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer by telephone. The two “agreed that we must all work together at this critical time to achieve a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine, Downing Street said.
A plan that is still being debated
Divided into 28 points, Donald Trump’s Ukraine plan aims to end the conflict caused by Russia’s nearly four-year invasion. Donald Trump gave his Ukrainian counterpart until November 27 to respond, before declaring on Saturday that the plan was not his “final offer” to resolve the conflict.
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.
Welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the initial text included several key demands from Moscow: that Ukraine cede territory, agree to reduce the size of its army and abandon joining NATO. While offering Western security guarantees to Kyiv to prevent further Russian attacks.
The text also proposes an end to Russia’s isolation from the Western world, with reintegration into the G8 and gradual lifting of sanctions.
