Washington Pushes, Kyiv Resists as Peace Talks Continue

Tense negotiations continue in Geneva between the United States and Ukraine to develop a mutually acceptable peace plan. After the first round of talks on Sunday, the parties issued a joint statement noting that they had developed a "revised framework peace document." This came after the initial American proposal was sharply criticized by both Kyiv and its European allies, being described as a "Kremlin wish list."

Last week, Washington, bypassing Kyiv and European capitals, presented a 28-point peace plan, giving Ukraine until Thursday to agree to the framework conditions for ending Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II. That initial document required Ukraine to cede territory, agree to limitations on its armed forces, and renounce its aspirations to join NATO—demands that Ukrainians have long rejected.

However, the joint statement released after the first day of negotiations provided no details on how controversial issues such as security guarantees for Ukraine against future Russian aggression and the financing of the country's reconstruction would be resolved.

Joining a summit of Ukraine's allies in Sweden via video link, President Zelenskyy stated that the negotiations are still ongoing. "We all continue to work with our partners, especially the United States, to find compromises that will strengthen us, not weaken us," he said. Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia must pay for the war, and the decision on using frozen Russian assets is clear.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump continues to pressure Ukraine to reach an agreement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is leading the American delegation in Sunday's talks, noted that the Thursday deadline for reaching an agreement could be revised.

The situation is complicated by the fact that President Zelenskyy is currently in one of the most vulnerable periods of his presidency, following the dismissal of two ministers due to a corruption scandal. He may face difficulties in convincing Ukrainians to accept a deal that could be seen as a betrayal of national interests. According to sources familiar with the situation, Zelenskyy may travel to the US this week to discuss the most sensitive aspects of the plan with Trump.

Skepticism among Ukrainians is high. "Trump's special plan, in general, is a capitulation for Ukraine," says Anzhelika Yurkevych, a 62-year-old resident of Kyiv. "I think the Ukrainian people will not agree. Even if it is signed, it must be implemented, and it is the Ukrainian people who will do that. And they will not agree to it."

Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, in turn, stated that Ukraine remains committed to its "red lines," insisting that EU and NATO membership must be an integral part of any security guarantees and peace plan.

Notably, the initial plan was a surprise even to some American officials. According to two sources, it was developed during a meeting in Miami in October, attended by special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, who, incidentally, is under US sanctions.

In response to these developments, European allies, who were not involved in the development of the initial plan, have presented a counter-proposal. It softens some of the proposed territorial concessions and includes the provision of a NATO-like security guarantee for Ukraine by the US in case of an attack.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow is closely following the news from Geneva but has not yet officially received any documents.

These diplomatic processes are taking place against the backdrop of unceasing military operations. On Sunday, Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, was subjected to a massive drone attack, which killed four people. At the same time, Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian UAV flying towards Moscow.