New and dangerous moments are unfolding for Ukraine. The Russian-American peace plan to end the Kremlin's imperialist war is moving forward despite European objections. Representatives from the United States, Ukraine, and Europe met this Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the controversial roadmap that requires Kyiv to cede territory, limit its military, and renounce its ambitions to join NATO. This plan was drafted without the participation of Ukraine or Europe, and Kyiv and the Europeans still hope to amend it to extract concessions from Washington that would limit the extent of the damage.

During a break in the hastily arranged Geneva meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Andrii Yermak, Chief of Staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, asserted that the talks were proving very fruitful. “We have probably had the most productive and meaningful meeting so far in this whole process,” Rubio stated. The top US diplomat added that the plan may include input from all parties involved and is “progressing well.”

Following initial contacts, Zelensky has stated that there is room to include Kyiv's perspective and elements crucial to its national interests in the Russian-American roadmap."We are continuing to work to ensure that all elements are truly effective in achieving the main goal our people yearn for: to end the bloodshed and the war," he wrote on social media.

However, US President Donald Trump, dissatisfied with Ukrainian and European attempts to amend the plan, has lashed out at Kyiv and Europe. “Ukrainian leadership has expressed zero gratitude for our efforts, and Europe continues to buy oil from Russia,” he exclaimed on social media. His words, in all caps, like a shouted rebuke, leave little room for hope that the text will undergo significant changes. Nevertheless, talks will continue this Sunday and in the coming days, according to sources involved in the negotiations.

Shock in Europe

European leaders are still reeling and trying to come to terms with the fact that they have once again been sidelined on an issue that is a core part of Europe's security architecture. They now appear to be accepting the Russian-American proposal as a starting point, but are attempting to push through a series of key amendments to help Kyiv secure better terms.

The European idea, according to sources familiar with the negotiations, is to secure Ukraine's protection with robust security guarantees that would allow them to defend it in the event of renewed aggression (something that would serve as a deterrent for the Kremlin), as well as a promise that Kyiv will not be forced to severely limit the size of its army (they propose a force of 800,000 personnel, instead of the mere 600,000 stipulated in the Russian-American roadmap) and its weaponry, as outlined in the 28-point plan. They are also seeking to refine the clauses under which the invaded country would be obligated to cede territory.

Reuters reports having seen the document containing the European counterproposal, built on the basis of the 28-point plan. Among other things, it proposes that the security guarantee offered by the US should be like that of Article 5 of NATO; that Ukraine would hold elections as soon as possible after the agreement—instead of a fixed deadline of 100 days; that Ukraine's integration into NATO depends on the consensus of all members, and that this consensus does not exist—instead of requiring Kyiv to include in the Ukrainian constitution a renunciation of membership; that NATO agrees not to deploy troops in Ukraine in peacetime—instead of simply stating that it will not deploy troops; and, regarding the territorial dimension, instead of accepting de facto annexation by Russia, it merely states that Ukraine commits not to seek to recover its sovereign territories by force.

The Europeans, who have been debating for weeks a European Commission proposal to release €180 billion of Russian sovereign assets frozen in EU territory (primarily in Belgium) due to sanctions, are also demanding that these funds be given to Kyiv as compensation and used for reconstruction. Meanwhile, the Russian-American plan stipulates that approximately €100 billion of the Russian assets will be invested in reconstruction and other investments in Ukraine, but in a US-led arrangement, with the US receiving 50% of the profits. According to this plan, drafted without European input, Europe would also contribute another €100 billion for reconstruction.

Germany, France, and the United Kingdom have sent national security advisors to the Geneva meeting, which is being attended by Rubio and Yermak, as well as the White House special envoy for Ukraine, Steve Witkoff. The European Union has also sent representatives to the meeting, where the Europeans hope to buy time for Ukraine. Furthermore, the talks are expected to expand this week to include other European countries and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to sources involved in the negotiations, who emphasize that everything is still open.

Trump set Thursday (Thanksgiving Day in the US) as the deadline for Kyiv to accept the plan. Despite this tight deadline, on Saturday he suggested that the roadmap might not be the final document and that, depending on Ukraine's response, he might be open to extending the deadline.

“Any credible and sustainable peace plan must, first and foremost, stop the killings and end the war, without sowing the seeds of future conflict,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a video statement on Sunday. The President of the European Commission reiterated the position of Kyiv’s Western allies that “borders cannot be changed by force” and that the occupied country should not reduce its military. “The centrality of the European Union in guaranteeing peace in Ukraine must be fully reflected,” insisted the head of the EU executive, who participated in the G-20 summit in South Africa this weekend.

At a press conference in Johannesburg following the G-20 summit, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that she had spoken by phone with Trump and perceived his"willingness" to modify the 28-point plan for Ukraine. Meloni expressed her support for a negotiating strategy that uses the 28-point plan as a foundation and focuses the dialogue on the points that do not satisfy the Europeans, rather than developing a counterproposal."I believe that, in terms of time and energy, it makes more sense to work on the existing proposal and focus on the truly decisive points," she said.

“Here, we have all demonstrated our goodwill from the beginning, except for one group: the Russians, who have not taken a single step forward from the start. I think—and I have said this several times to the President of the United States as well—that the Russians must also give some concrete sign of truly wanting to achieve peace,” said the Italian Prime Minister.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also addressed the negotiations on the plan for Ukraine while in Johannesburg. The German leader indicated that he believes the deadline set by the White House to resolve the issue is too short. “President Trump’s plan is to reach an agreement by Thursday. We are very far from that. This does not mean it is impossible, but I am skeptical about such an outcome given the current disagreements,” the Chancellor said on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

Merz also indicated that he has put forward his own proposal, currently under discussion in Geneva, on how to take a first step by Thursday if the 28 points of the overall plan prove too extensive to cover by then. Germany, after the United States, is the country that has provided the most aid to Ukraine, some 38 billion euros since the invasion until last August, according to calculations by the Kiel Institute.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also addressed the issue of Ukraine. He announced that he plans to speak with Putin on Monday and intends to explore with his Russian counterpart the possibility of reviving the agreement to allow free passage for wheat shipments across the Black Sea. “I believe it would be very beneficial if we can reactivate this process,” he said.

Suspicions about the authorship of the plan

Meanwhile, the Russian-American plan continues to face criticism. On Saturday night, a group of US senators (both Democrats and Republicans) claimed that Rubio had told them the roadmap was Russian-authored. Following the controversy, before departing for Geneva, the US Secretary of State insisted that the 28-point plan was “written by the United States” and that it was based on “contributions” from both Russia and Ukraine.

On Saturday, Ukraine's allies at the G-20 summit in South Africa issued a statement claiming that the 28-point plan required"additional work" and that as it stood, it"would leave Ukraine vulnerable to attack."

Together with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, we have declared our readiness to work on the 28-point plan despite some reservations. However, before we start our work, it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where it was created.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) November 23, 2025

“Together, the European leaders, Canada, and Japan have declared our willingness to work on the 28-point plan, although we have some reservations. However, before we begin, it would be good to know for sure who authored the plan and where it was created,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote pointedly on social media.