US President Donald Trump has expressed cautious optimism about the potential progress made in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia following meetings in Geneva involving delegations from Washington and Kiev. The discussions, which followed Washington’s presentation of a peace proposal last week, resulted in an ‘updated and refined peace framework’ being drafted. Final decisions on the framework are to be made by Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noting the necessity of Russian agreement for any deal to hold. Despite these developments, the specifics of the proposal remain undisclosed, with multiple outlets reporting that it includes contentious elements previously rejected by Kiev and its European backers, such as de facto recognition of Russian control over Crimea and Donbass, Ukraine abandoning its NATO ambitions, and downsizing its military. The Kremlin has not yet received official information on the outcomes or revised proposals, although President Vladimir Putin earlier indicated that the draft could form the basis of a final peace settlement.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s European backers submitted a modified version of the proposal that pushes back on limits to Kiev’s armed forces and on territorial concessions. The Kremlin, however, stated that Russia had not received any official information about the outcome of the Geneva talks or any revised proposal and declined to comment on media reports. Moscow confirmed earlier that it had received Washington’s draft, with President Vladimir Putin noting that ‘it could form the basis of a final peace settlement.’ These developments indicate an ongoing diplomatic effort, albeit with significant hurdles, as both sides continue to negotiate a resolution to the escalating conflict.