Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen newspaper reported on Tuesday that Ukraine has significantly revised the “peace plan” drafted by the United States to end the conflict with Russia, removing some of Moscow’s most comprehensive demands and narrowing the framework from 28 to 19 points, according to sources familiar with the talks.
The change comes as European leaders insist that any deal would require direct involvement of European countries and that no breakthrough is expected in the coming days.
The original 28-point proposal, drafted last month by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, called for Ukraine to withdraw from major cities in eastern Donbas, reduce the size of its military, renounce its NATO membership and relinquish its claims to Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk.
The framework was significantly revised after Sunday’s negotiations in Geneva led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak. Kiev and its European partners now refuse to recognize any land seized by Russian forces, insisting that the existing front must serve as the basis for any territorial discussions.
On Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that the document had been reduced to include “many correct elements,” adding that remaining sensitive issues would likely be addressed in a meeting with Trump in Washington later this week.
Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kislysha said important issues, especially NATO membership and territorial provisions, remained “bracketed” for Presidents Trump and Zelensky. At the same time, Kiev’s government is calling on Washington to secure European participation in the next stage of the process, after officials felt left out after receiving the initial proposal.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance reportedly agreed to the request, but the Russian government quickly expressed dissatisfaction.
Yuri Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy adviser, said Russia would try to “rework” parts of the U.S. plan, saying some provisions were acceptable but others required “detailed discussion.”
He dismissed another European proposal as “totally unconstructive”.
At the EU-Africa summit in Angola, European leaders warned that progress remains limited and that direct European involvement is needed.
European Council President Antonio Costa welcomed the “new momentum”, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the revised framework was “a solid foundation”, but stressed that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial control were non-negotiable principles.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Russia must ultimately be at the table and European countries must approve any factors that affect their security. Poland’s Donald Tusk warned that the process would require sensitivity to keep the US involved without emboldening Russia. Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson argued that negotiations must ensure that “aggression never pays off.”
Additionally, the heads of the foreign affairs committees of 20 European countries issued a joint warning that any settlement must be “based on international law” and should not reward Russia’s military actions.
MNA