Efforts to end the war in Ukraine entered a new phase Sunday as the United States and Ukraine announced progress on an updated peace framework, just hours after European governments advanced their own plan aimed at countering elements of an earlier draft widely criticized as favorable to Russia.
The new US-Ukraine statement followed meetings in Switzerland between American officials, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and a Ukrainian delegation headed by presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak. Both sides signaled that negotiations were moving toward a deal that would maintain Ukraine’s sovereignty and address concerns raised by last week’s leaked 28-point US proposal.
That original draft called for Ukraine to cede territory, reduce the size of its military, and abandon efforts to pursue wartime accountability from Moscow—positions that triggered intense backlash in Kyiv and unease among European allies. Confusion deepened over the weekend when Rubio acknowledged that the document had been conceived in Moscow before later insisting the United States authored it with input from Russia and Ukraine.
European countries responded with their own counter-proposal on Sunday, offering a more Kyiv-aligned blueprint. Their plan calls for territorial negotiations only after a ceasefire and beginning from existing front lines. It also proposes US-supervised monitoring of any truce, allows for eventual NATO membership, and avoids requiring Ukraine to withdraw from cities it currently holds in the Donbas.
Other provisions include placing the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant under international control, capping Ukraine’s armed forces at a higher level than the US draft, and using frozen Russian assets directly for reconstruction. Sanctions relief would be tied to Russia’s adherence to a sustainable peace, with the possibility of Moscow rejoining the G8.
The competing proposals emerged as Republican lawmakers questioned the origins of the original document and as President Donald Trump softened earlier demands that Ukraine quickly accept the plan. Kyiv, meanwhile, has faced growing pressure but continues to reject any settlement requiring territorial concessions.
The diplomatic activity unfolded against a backdrop of renewed violence, with Russian drone strikes killing four people in Kharkiv on Sunday. Ukrainian officials also held consultations with France, Germany, and the UK as they worked to build support for a settlement they view as both realistic and protective of national interests.
Source: The Guardian