Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the “important steps” taken during peace talks with the United States in Geneva, but warned that the “main problem” remained Vladimir Putin’s demand for legal recognition of Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine.
After U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss ending the war with Russia, officials on both sides reported “progress” and an intention to continue working.
However, no details have emerged on how to bridge the considerable divide between Moscow and kyiv over territorial issues and security guarantees for Ukraine.
It is now believed that Zelensky and US President Donald Trump will meet to discuss the most contentious points, although no timetable has been set.
The issue of territorial integrity in particular is a key point of divergence between Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky has repeatedly said that Moscow should not be rewarded for its aggression with land it seized by force, and that doing so would create a dangerous precedent.
After the end of talks in Geneva, Trump suggested on social media that “something good may be happening,” but with the caveat: “Don’t believe it until you see it.”
Russian representatives did not participate in the meeting in Switzerland and the Kremlin said it had not received any information about the outcome of the talks. Spokesman Dmitri Peskov stressed that Moscow was aware that “adjustments” had been made to the plan that were initially welcomed by Putin.
That 28-point peace proposal was drafted by U.S. and Russian officials in October and presented to Ukraine last week. Several of its elements appeared strongly oriented toward Moscow’s long-standing demands, causing consternation in kyiv and its European allies.
Trump’s comments suggesting Ukraine had until Thursday to accept the deal or face serious cuts in U.S. support helped create a sense of urgency across Europe and talks were hastily convened between Ukraine and U.S. officials.
On Sunday afternoon, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “tremendous” progress had been made in the talks. “I honestly think we’ll make it,” he said.
But some European leaders have been more cautious. “I’m not sure if we are any closer to peace,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said discussions would be a “long and lasting process” and that he did not expect any progress this week.
Last week, Europeans were left fighting for a seat at the table, after they were apparently caught off guard when the draft US peace plan was presented.
A counterproposal – reportedly drafted by Britain, France and Germany – excluded any recognition of Russian-controlled regions, increased the permitted size of Ukraine’s army and left the door open for Ukraine to join NATO.
Rubio said he was not aware of the plan and on Monday Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov called it “completely unconstructive.”
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has consistently demanded Ukraine’s complete withdrawal from the entire eastern Donbas region.
But kyiv and its European partners are tired of any deal that jeopardizes the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty, and Zelensky has repeatedly warned that giving up the Donbas would leave Ukraine vulnerable to Russian attacks in the future.
Another key Russian demand is that Ukraine never be part of NATO. But kyiv views membership in the alliance as the only way to protect itself from future attacks, and joining NATO is enshrined in the Ukrainian constitution.
Despite last week’s frenetic diplomacy, the next steps in the process are unclear.
The expectation is that Zelensky will soon speak personally with Trump, after which a new draft of the peace plan will eventually be presented to Moscow. There were no plans for a meeting this week between Russian and American negotiators, the Kremlin said.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said there was still work to be done to achieve a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine. A virtual meeting of the “coalition of the willing” will be held on Tuesday to discuss the developments, he added.
