Washington and Kyiv have both signaled progress in ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the Russian war in Ukraine. The developments come as Moscow dismissed a European proposal as ‘unconstructive’.
The White House affirmed President Trump’s continued optimism about the prospects of reaching a settlement in Ukraine. While acknowledging ‘some points of contention’ within the proposed plan for Ukraine, the White House stated that teams are ‘continuing to work on them’. A key point of emphasis from the US side is the desire to end the flow of arms to Ukraine through NATO, with the administration stressing that ‘selling weapons to NATO to send to Ukraine cannot continue; Trump wants to end the war’.
The White House refuted accusations, particularly from within the Republican party, that Trump is biased towards Russia in his efforts to resolve the conflict. Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt stated that it is ‘completely false’ to suggest that the United States is not working equally with both sides to bring an end to the war. Leavitt emphasized that Trump has expressed ‘optimism and hope’ that a plan can be implemented to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed the sentiment of progress, stating that the American peace plan has been significantly refined. ‘There are no longer 28 items in the American peace plan,’ Zelenskyy said. ‘Many of the correct things have been incorporated into the new formula. Now, the list of steps needed to end the war can become actionable’. Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister added that Kyiv and Washington have demonstrated the ability to produce a viable peace document.
Negotiations between American, Ukrainian, and European officials are ongoing in Geneva, focusing on a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. These talks were convened urgently based on Trump’s initial 28-point plan for ending the war.
Germany has emphasized the necessity of Russian participation in negotiations concerning a peace plan for Ukraine. Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that ‘Russia must be present at the table’, while expressing skepticism about achieving diplomatic progress this week.
The Kremlin has stated that the European proposal, presented as a counter to the American plan, is not constructive and does not align with Russia’s interests. Yuri Ushakov said the proposal is not suitable.
