Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has stated that the United States and Ukraine have made significant progress in the ongoing peace talks aimed at resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to Rubio, these discussions have included the development of a 28-point peace plan, which reportedly involves the recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea and Donbass, as well as the freezing of contact lines in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. The plan also suggests that Russia would pull back its troops from Ukrainian territories outside these designated areas, and Ukraine would maintain a military force of about 600,000 troops, with a commitment to staying out of NATO.
Rubio, addressing reporters after the talks in Geneva, Switzerland, highlighted the importance of Russian agreement for the plan to be viable, stating that the current progress represents a ‘tremendous amount of progress’ but additional work remains. The discussions also involved placing some points related to the EU and NATO on a separate track, as they require input from these international bodies. Rubio, however, did not specify the remaining issues that needed to be resolved, referring to the current phase as ‘very delicate.’
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow has received the US peace plan, with Putin expressing that it could potentially form the basis of a final peace settlement. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia was against discussing the roadmap through ‘megaphone diplomacy,’ indicating the complexity and sensitivity in reaching a resolution. The situation remains a critical point in the ongoing geopolitical tensions, with the potential for this peace plan to significantly impact the regional stability and international relations.