US and Ukraine report progress in talks on peace plan with Russia

American and Ukrainian officials announced progress in efforts to end the war with Russia after talks in Geneva, but they did not provide details about how to resolve some of the deep differences between Moscow and Kiev.

Speaking to reporters after a day of negotiations with Ukrainian and European officials, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a “tremendous” amount of progress had been made, and described it as one of the most productive days so far in the talks.

“I feel very optimistic that we will get there in a very reasonable amount of time,” he said.

Rubio said that talks on the plan will continue in order to resolve a number of outstanding issues. “I don’t want to declare victory or the end here. There is still some work to be done,” he said.

The Foreign Secretary did not say whether any breakthroughs had been made on some of the most contentious points of the 28-point plan, including Ukraine’s demand to hand over territory in the Donbas region still under Kiev’s control.

Rubio said on Sunday that the final text of the agreement would need to be signed by the presidents of Ukraine and the United States before being sent to Moscow.

A joint statement issued by the United States and Ukraine described the talks as “constructive, focused, and respectful.”

The statement added, “The discussions showed tangible progress towards unifying positions and identifying clear next steps. They reiterated that any future agreement must fully support Ukraine’s sovereignty and achieve a sustainable and just peace.”

The talks began under a cloud, with US President Donald Trump on social media on Sunday criticizing European and Ukrainian leaders for failing to agree on a truce.

The White House intensified pressure on Ukraine and its allies to force them to conclude an agreement with Moscow, which raised fears in European capitals and in Washington that it would yield to Russia’s demands.

Sunday’s talks marked the end of a weekend of diplomatic tensions. After pressing Ukraine to accept the agreement by Thursday, Trump said the plan was not America’s “last offer.” Rubio then reportedly sought to distance Washington from the proposal, before insisting hours later that the US had drafted it.

One European official described the situation within the Trump administration as “chaotic.”

National security advisers from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union met in Geneva on Sunday alongside their American and Ukrainian counterparts, including Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff – one of the plan’s authors – and US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, a close ally of US Vice President J.D. Vance.

They met with the Ukrainian delegation – led by Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff of President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustam Omerov – before being joined by European representatives.

In his remarks Sunday evening, Rubio said he had assured European officials that any elements in the plan that directly related to Europe or NATO would be put on a “separate track” in the talks because they needed their input.

Republican lawmakers are divided over the proposals. Several senators — including former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and staunch Trump ally Lindsey Graham — have publicly criticized the plan.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis, speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum, said: “Vladimir Putin is a murderer, a rapist and a murderer, and we should not do anything that makes him feel like a victor here.” “Any agreement must be an agreement that the people of Ukraine want.”

However, Republican Senator Eric Schmidt defended Trump’s “realistic” approach.

“The fact of the matter is, and a lot of people won’t say this, is that the Ukrainians have been losing for a long time,” Schmidt told Fox News on Sunday.

Michael McCaul, a Republican congressman who previously chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told ABC News that “about 80%” of the plan would likely be agreed upon in Geneva, but “the problem is going to be 20% of the really tough items that will be negotiated.”

European countries launched background measures to slow US efforts to impose the plan on Ukraine.

“Any credible and sustainable peace plan must first and foremost stop the killing and end the war, while not sowing the seeds of future conflict,” said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

She said there were three crucial elements: “First, borders cannot be changed by force. Second, as a sovereign state, no restrictions can be imposed on the Ukrainian armed forces.” [and] Third, the central role the EU plays in securing peace in Ukraine must be fully reversed.

The original US plan crossed several long-standing Ukrainian red lines, including handing over the rest of Donetsk Oblast, which Russia has been unable to seize since it began its offensive there in 2014.

One European official raised concerns that Trump might withdraw US support from Ukraine out of frustration, leaving Zelensky and his country dangerously exposed. “This is the scenario we are clearly planning for,” they said.

European diplomats expect more meetings to be held next week between France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Other potential participants include the leaders of Poland and Finland and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“We are trying to come up with something that could be considered a counter-offer,” the European diplomat said.

Additional reporting by Laura Bittle in Berlin and George Parker in London