U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have announced significant progress on an updated peace framework in Geneva, despite previous criticisms that the U.S.-backed plan heavily favored Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated there had been “tremendous progress” in refining the proposed plan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated his team felt heard, saying there were “signs that President Donald Trump’s team heard what we wanted.”
The final agreement still requires approval from both the Ukrainian and U.S. presidents before it can be formally presented to Russia, Rubio added.
The framework emerged after an earlier draft drew strong criticism from Ukrainian and European leaders who viewed its terms as too beneficial to Moscow. Russia, however, had given the initial proposal a cautious reception.
While the full draft has not been released, leaked details outline several contentious points for Ukraine.
These include agreeing to withdraw troops from parts of eastern Donetsk still under Ukrainian control. Ukraine would also acknowledge Russia’s de facto control over Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
The plan proposes freezing borders in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions along current front lines.
Ukraine’s military size would be limited to 600,000 personnel, a reduction from its current approximate strength of 880,000.
Furthermore, Ukraine would commit not to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), receiving “reliable security guarantees” in its place.
The draft also “expects” Russia to refrain from invading neighboring countries and for NATO to cease further expansion. It suggests Russia could “re-enter the global economy” through the lifting of sanctions and be invited back to the G7, restoring the G8 format.
This breakthrough came hours after President Trump accused Ukraine of “not showing the slightest gratitude” for U.S. efforts to end the conflict. Trump also noted that European allies continue to purchase oil from Russia.
Rubio and the U.S. State Department previously confirmed the peace plan originated in the United States. This clarification followed reports that bipartisan U.S. senators claimed Rubio had privately indicated the draft was a Russian proposal. Rubio denied these claims, asserting the plan was drafted by the U.S. with “input” from both Russia and Ukraine.