GENEVA: Senior officials from the United States, Ukraine, and national security advisers from France, Britain, and Germany are set to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss Washington’s draft plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were expected to attend the talks concerning Russia’s invasion, now in its fourth year, according to Reuters.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had until Thursday to approve his 28-point proposal, which includes territorial concessions, military restrictions, and a renunciation of NATO membership ambitions.
A U.S. official said, “We hope to finalize the details…to draft a deal beneficial to Ukraine. Nothing will be finalized until the two presidents meet.” Trump also noted that his current proposal is not a final offer.
Early Sunday, vehicles with U.S. diplomatic plates were seen in Geneva, though the exact timing of the talks remained unclear. U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll arrived ahead of the meeting. Ukraine’s delegation is led by Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskiy’s office, along with senior security officials.
National security advisers from the E3 alliance (France, Britain, Germany) will participate, along with representatives from the European Union and Italy, according to diplomatic sources. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is also scheduled to discuss the plan with Zelenskiy later on Sunday.
European and other Western leaders described the U.S. proposal—which includes key Russian demands—as a starting point for negotiations that requires further work to secure a more favorable outcome for Kyiv before the Thursday deadline.
(Inputs from Reuters)
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