U.S. and Ukraine Report ‘Meaningful Progress’ on Peace Plan in Geneva

United States and Ukrainian officials announced “meaningful progress” Sunday night in President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan following high-level negotiations in Geneva earlier in the day, despite underlying tensions and a tight deadline set by the White House.

According to a joint statement issued by the White House following the talks, delegations from both nations have drafted an “updated and refined peace framework” aimed at aligning positions on the controversial proposal.

“Final decisions under this framework will be made by the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States,” the joint statement confirmed.

The negotiations centered on President Trump’s 28-point peace plan, aspects of which were revealed last week. The proposal reportedly requires Kyiv to make significant concessions, including relinquishing additional territory in the east, permanently foregoing NATO membership, and accepting full amnesty for Russian individuals accused of war crimes.

In exchange, the plan offers Ukraine a security guarantee from the U.S. and European allies modeled on NATO’s Article 5. This provision would commit the “transatlantic community” to treat any attack on Ukraine as an attack on the alliance as a whole.

While the plan forces difficult compromises, the White House stated Sunday that Ukrainian representatives believe the revised draft “reflects their national interests.” The administration added that the Ukrainian delegation felt their primary concerns, ranging from security guarantees and sovereignty to long-term economic development, were “thoroughly addressed.”

The Geneva meeting included a high-level American delegation featuring Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and presidential adviser Jared Kushner. They met with Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.

Secretary Rubio described the session as “probably the most productive day we have had on this issue,” noting that negotiators had substantially narrowed the list of unresolved issues. While acknowledging that “work remains,” Rubio dismissed the strict Thanksgiving deadline set by President Trump, emphasizing that the primary goal is to finalize a deal “as soon as possible.”

However, sources close to the negotiations described to Axios a volatile atmosphere behind the scenes. American officials reportedly accused the Ukrainian side of leaking negative details of the plan to the U.S. press, leading to a tense Sunday morning session. To clear the air, Ukrainian negotiators agreed to issue positive public statements.

Later in the day, Ukraine presented a counterproposal, to which the U.S. expressed a willingness to make adjustments.

Despite the progress reported in Geneva, President Trump expressed frustration on social media on Sunday. In a post on Truth Social, he criticized Ukrainian leadership for allegedly showing “zero gratitude” for U.S. efforts.

“I inherited a war that should have never happened,” Trump wrote, reiterating his stance that the conflict is a “loser for everyone.”
Conversely, President Zelensky struck a cautiously optimistic tone. In a statement, he acknowledged that “a lot is changing” and that his team is working carefully to find “doable solutions.”

“It is important that there is dialogue with the American representatives, and there are signals that President Trump’s team is hearing us,” Zelensky said.

Both sides agreed to continue close coordination as the agreements move toward final refinement. Aspects of the plan involving European allies and NATO specifics will be handled on a separate diplomatic track.