Europe sees ‘step forward’ in talks on revised U.S. Peace plan for Ukraine

European leaders are cautiously welcoming progress in discussions on a revised U.S. proposal aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, though they warn that substantial disagreements remain.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Sunday’s talks in Geneva represented “a step forward,” but emphasized that “major issues” still require resolution. Delegations met to review a 28-point American plan that had initially sparked alarm in Kyiv and several European capitals for appearing to align closely with Russia’s demands.
The original proposal called for Ukraine to relinquish some occupied territory, sharply reduce the size of its military, and accept that it will never join NATO — despite the alliance’s previous declaration that Ukraine is on an “irreversible path” to membership. The emergence of the plan came at a difficult moment for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose government is contending with financial strain, enduring frontline pressure, and a domestic corruption scandal.
Still, Zelenskyy said Sunday that the renewed diplomatic engagement offered “very good” signs after months of limited progress.
It was unclear whether negotiations would resume on Monday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia had not yet received the updated version of the U.S. proposal, though Moscow remained “open” to further dialogue. He added there were no current plans for U.S.-Russia meetings this week.
German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio played a significant role in modifying the plan to address European and Ukrainian concerns. He said all provisions relating to Europe and NATO had been removed from the draft — an outcome he described as “a decisive success.”
Rubio said Sunday the discussions were “very worthwhile” and represented the most productive day of diplomacy “in a very long time,” adding: “I feel very optimistic that we can get something done.”
Turkey is also attempting to mediate. President Vladimir Putin is expected to speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later Monday, with discussions likely to include the 2022 Black Sea grain-export deal — which Russia allowed to lapse last year, citing unfulfilled commitments on easing its own agricultural exports.