The United States and Ukraine were set to continue work Monday on a plan to end the war with Russia after agreeing to revise an earlier proposal widely seen as too favorable to Moscow.
In a joint statement, the two sides said they had drafted a “refined peace framework” after talks Sunday in Geneva, though they did not provide details.
The White House said the Ukrainian delegation told U.S. officials the framework “reflects their national interests” and “addresses their core strategic requirements,” although Kyiv did not issue its own statement.
It remained unclear how the updated plan would address key issues, including guarantees for Ukraine’s security against ongoing Russian threats. The United States and Ukraine said they would continue “intensive work” ahead of a Thursday deadline, although U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the American delegation, flew back to Washington late Sunday.
President Donald Trump has kept up pressure on Ukraine to reach a deal. On Sunday, he said Ukraine had shown “zero gratitude” for U.S. efforts over the course of the war, prompting Ukrainian officials to underscore their thanks for his support.
Trump previously set a Thursday deadline for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to accept a peace plan, but Rubio said Sunday that the deadline might not be firm.
Zelenskiy could travel to the United States as soon as this week to discuss the plan’s most sensitive elements with Trump, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The initial 28-point proposal the United States put forward last week called on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and abandon its aim of joining NATO. For many Ukrainians, those terms would amount to capitulation after nearly four years of fighting in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
The original plan surprised U.S. officials across the administration. Two sources said Saturday it was crafted at an October meeting in Miami that included special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian envoy under U.S. sanctions.
European nations issue counterproposal
Democratic lawmakers have criticized the U.S. proposal as essentially a Russian wish list, but Rubio has insisted Washington authored it with input from both sides in the war.
European allies said they were not involved in developing the original plan. On Sunday, they released a counterproposal that would ease some of the territorial concessions and include a U.S. NATO-style security guarantee for Ukraine if it is attacked.
The talks come as Russia has slowly gained ground in several regions, while Ukraine’s power and gas facilities have been pummeled by drone and missile strikes, leaving millions without water, heat and electricity for hours at a time.
Zelenskiy has also faced pressure at home as a major corruption scandal has ensnared several ministers, fueling renewed anger over pervasive graft and complicating efforts to secure funding to keep the economy afloat.
Kyiv had taken heart in recent weeks after the United States tightened sanctions on Russia’s oil sector, the main source of funding for the war, while Ukraine’s long-range drone and missile strikes have caused significant damage to the industry.