'Best Talks Since Trump Returned': US, Ukraine Roll Out Updated Peace Proposal After Geneva Meet

The United States and Ukraine announced on Sunday that they have agreed on an updated and more refined peace framework aimed at ending the nearly four-year war with Russia. The revised proposal follows high-level talks in Geneva and addresses major concerns that an earlier plan pushed by President Donald Trump leaned too heavily in Moscow’s favour.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, describing the discussions as “very worthwhile,” said the Geneva meeting was likely the best exchange Washington has had with Kyiv since Trump returned to office. While Trump had set a Thursday deadline for Ukraine to respond to the plan, Rubio downplayed the urgency, stressing that the priority was stopping the fighting, with negotiations expected to continue into

Monday and beyond.

The diplomatic push comes shortly after Trump publicly complained that Ukraine had not shown sufficient gratitude for America’s support, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reiterate his appreciation.

Calling the current stage of negotiations “a very delicate moment,” Rubio said some outstanding issues were merely matters of wording, while others would require top-level decisions and further consultation. Several critical questions, including how Ukraine’s security would be guaranteed against future Russian aggression and what role NATO would play, remain unresolved.

A statement from the White House said the revised framework strengthens security guarantees for Ukraine and that Kyiv’s delegation indicated the updated proposal “reflects their national interests.” Ukraine has not issued its own statement.

European officials involved in the talks put forward their own adjustments to the US blueprint, challenging proposals that would limit the size of Ukraine’s military or force it into territorial concessions. Their version would allow Ukraine to retain a larger armed force, and any negotiations on potential land swaps would be based on the current battlefield map rather than predetermined assumptions favouring Russia.

The US-authored 28-point original plan had raised alarm in Kyiv and among European allies. Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine might soon confront a stark decision between protecting its sovereignty and maintaining essential American backing.

The earlier proposal accommodated several Russian demands, including the surrender of large portions of Ukrainian territory, which Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected. Rubio said that while many questions remain, the Geneva talks helped significantly narrow the gaps in the original draft.