Ukrainian, US and European officials met in Geneva on Sunday. They talked about a plan from Washington to stop the war in Ukraine. Kyiv and its friends are worried. They think the plan gives too much to Russia. US President Donald Trump likes the 28 point plan. On Sunday he said Ukraine had not been thankful for American help. US weapons still go to Kyiv through NATO. Europe also still buys Russian oil.
Ukraine Has Until Thursday to Say Yes
On Friday, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy he had until Thursday to say yes to the plan. The plan tells Ukraine to give up land. It says Ukraine must accept limits on its military. It also says Ukraine must forget about joining NATO. For many Ukrainians this would be like giving up. Soldiers fighting on the front lines feel this way too. The war has gone on nearly four years now. It is the worst fighting in Europe since World War Two. On Saturday, Trump mentioned that this offer is not his final one.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was leading the US delegation. The main talks between US and Ukrainian officials took place on Sunday afternoon in Geneva. The US team was in a very serious and solemn atmosphere. Just before that, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the leaders of Ukraine have not thanked the US even once. Additionally, he asserted that Europe was still purchasing oil from Russia.
Nobody Knows Who Wrote the Plan
Since the US plan was published, there has been confusion over who penned it. European friends said nobody asked them. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke as officials began meeting. He said the goal was to make a plan Ukraine could live with. Then this could be used in talks with Russia. Right now, I am not so sure we will get what President Trump wants in the next few days, Merz said. He was at a G20 meeting in Johannesburg.
Before flying to Geneva, Rubio wrote on X that Washington made the plan. Some US senators said something different. Senator Angus King said Rubio told senators that the plan was not what the government wanted. King said it was basically what the Russians wanted. Europeans have made their own version of the US plan. This version pushes back on limits to Kyiv’s military and giving up land. A paper seen by Reuters on Sunday showed it.
Very Bad Time for Ukraine
The US plan contains much of what Russia is seeking, offering only fuzzy assurances to Ukraine on its security. For Kyiv, timing couldn’t be worse. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke on Sunday. She said Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed by force. She said its army cannot be left where it can be attacked easily. She said the European Union must have a big part in any Ukraine peace deal.
Russia has been gaining ground in recent days. It has been slow. Western and Ukrainian officials say the fighting has killed a lot of Russian soldiers. Russian forces have taken part of Pokrovsk. This is a transportation hub. Ukrainian commanders say they do not have enough soldiers. They cannot stop small attacks that keep happening.
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