After the talks in Geneva, Marco Rubio stated that changes would be made to the U.S. peace plan. He also described today’s meetings as the “most productive and important” since the negotiations began. The Ukrainian side also reacted positively to today’s discussions.
Which part would be edited, remains unknown. According to Axios, during the meeting, the US side accused the Ukrainians of leaking negative details of the plan to the American press. The publication noted that despite the optimistic statements by Rubio and Yermak, the meeting was tense.
Authors of the Plan
It is noteworthy that Rubio himself had long been unaware of the peace plan.
Senator Mike Rounds told reporters that Rubio called him and other senators, saying the plan was not a proposal developed by the United States. Later, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims by Republican Senator Mike Rounds, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, and Independent Angus King that the 28-point proposal released this week had not been drafted in Washington.
As previously reported, some of the document’s wording appears to have been originally written in Russia.
According to Bloomberg, the peace plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine — which the U.S. presented to Kyiv — was developed in October by U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, together with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
European Partners’ Amendments
European partners insist, firstly, that Ukraine should not be required to greatly adjust its army. They also propose starting negotiations based on the current front line, without territorial concessions and without any language implying recognition of occupied territories as Russian.
Among the requirements is a mutually agreed formula with NATO regarding Ukraine’s membership, rather than claiming a non-aligned status. However, the EU version also preserves Ukraine’s non-nuclear status. Partners, among other statements, insists on the unconditional return of kidnapped Ukrainian children.
The European draft was prepared by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz noted that peace is unlikely to be achieved in such a short timeframe, though he still considers it possible.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron to coordinate positions between their negotiating teams.
Conclusion
So far, the reports from Geneva bring comparatively positive news amid intense pressure. Marco Rubio has promised to revise the plan.
However, Russia remains unwilling even to sign its own highly favorable proposal, continuing to demand Ukraine’s full capitulation. A more balanced and just plan would therefore also not satisfy Moscow.
Regardless of the outcome, this situation would once again illustrate a simple truth: Russia does not understand diplomacy or the concept of justice. Only sanctions and military strength can compel it to sit at the negotiating table.
