A tremendous amount of progress has been achieved in talks to finalize a US-proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
But there's still some work to be done, Rubio said after meeting Ukrainian and European negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there were signals that President [Donald] Trump's team is hearing us.
Ukraine and its European allies had expressed concern over the leaked proposals, seen as favoring Russia and welcomed by Vladimir Putin as the basis for settlement. Zelensky had said Ukraine might face a very difficult choice: either losing dignity, or risk losing a key partner.
Speaking to reporters late on Sunday, Rubio stated that the negotiating teams had experienced a very good day and that they had substantially narrowed the open items from the 28-point US plan.
However, the final agreement would require approval from the Ukrainian and US presidents before the plan could be sent to Russia, and some issues remain to be worked on.
Media reports indicated the existence of an alternative proposal from Kyiv's European allies. Nonetheless, Rubio denied any knowledge of such a document.
Trump criticized Ukraine’s leadership for showing zero gratitude for US efforts and pointed out that Europe continues buying oil from Russia, which helps fund the war.
The Geneva talks focus on a US draft that includes terms for troop withdrawals and future security guarantees for Ukraine, while also stipulating the nation's military strength and its NATO aspirations.
