US President Donald Trump has expressed cautious optimism about the outcome of recent peace talks between Ukraine and the United States, signaling that ‘something good’ may be happening. The discussions, which took place in Geneva, resulted in an ‘updated and refined peace framework’ that has been drafted, with final decisions to be made by Trump and Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zel, Zelensky. The framework, however, includes several contentious provisions, such as de facto recognition of Russian control over Crimea and Donbass, Ukraine abandoning its ambitions to join NATO, and downsizing its military, according to multiple sources.
Despite the proposed changes, Ukraine’s European backers have submitted a modified version of the proposal, pushing back on limits to Kiev’s armed forces and territorial concessions. The initial 28-point plan, which had not been made public, faced significant opposition from Kiev and its European partners. The White House’s statement highlighted the progress made on the framework, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noting that a ‘tremendous amount of progress’ had been achieved, though Russian agreement remains essential for any deal to be considered viable.
Russia, which had received the draft proposal from Washington, has not yet commented on the revised terms. The Kremlin stated that it had received the initial version and President Vladimir Putin earlier noted that it ‘could form the basis of a final peace settlement.’ However, Russia’s official stance remains cautious, with the Kremlin declining to comment on media reports about the talks’ outcome. The situation remains fluid as both sides await further developments in the ongoing negotiations.