US, Ukraine and European officials hold talks in Geneva on Trump’s plan to end Russia’s war
Top officials from the United States and Ukraine, as well as national security advisers from France, Britain and Germany, will hold talks in Geneva today to discuss Washington’s draft plan to end the war in Ukraine.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are due to arrive today for the talks on ending Russia’s invasion, now in its fourth year.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has until Thursday to approve the 28-point plan, which calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and renounce ambitions to join NATO.
“We hope to iron out the final details… to draft a deal that is advantageous to [Ukraine],” a US official says. “Nothing will be agreed on until the two presidents get together,” the official adds, referring to Trump and Zelensky.
US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll has arrived in Geneva ahead of the talks, and a Ukrainian delegation had been expected last night, the official says. Ukraine has confirmed its participation.
National security advisers from the so-called E3 alliance of France, Britain and Germany will join the discussions, alongside the European Union. Italy will also send an official, diplomatic sources says.
European and other Western leaders have said the US peace plan, which endorses key Russian demands, is a basis for talks to end the war but needs “additional work,” as they seek a better deal for Kyiv before Thursday’s deadline.
A German government source says a European draft peace plan, which is based on the US proposal, has been sent to Ukraine and to the US administration.
Before the talks, Zelensky has warned that Ukraine risks losing its dignity and freedom — or Washington’s backing — over the plan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the plan as the basis of a resolution to the conflict, but Moscow may object to some proposals in the scheme, which requires its forces to pull back from some areas they have captured.
