US-Ukraine Talks Narrow Peace Proposal to 19 Points
According to reports, the U.S. draft would require Ukraine to cede additional territory to Russia, scale back its military capabilities, and formally abandon its pursuit of NATO membership.
United States President Donald Trump greets the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in Washington DC, United States on October 17, 2025. Photo by Anadolu Images.
T
he U.S.’s proposed framework for ending the war in Ukraine has been scaled back from 28 points to 19 following detailed negotiations in Geneva, American and Ukrainian officials said on Monday, describing the talks as constructive but still far from a final agreement.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiators had made “tremendous” progress during discussions with Ukrainian and European counterparts, though he cautioned that “more work remains before we can speak of a fully aligned plan.”
In a joint statement, Washington and Kyiv said the Geneva meetings marked “meaningful progress toward aligning positions,” the strongest indication so far that the two sides are inching toward a common approach.
People familiar with the talks told the Financial Times that nine provisions from the original draft were removed, though they did not specify which sections. European diplomats had previously raised concerns about several points, particularly those involving sanctions and the management of frozen Russian assets, arguing that such decisions fall under EU jurisdiction.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb described the trimmed framework as “a step forward,” while noting that “significant questions remain open,” a sentiment echoed by several European leaders engaged in the process.
Plan raises concerns among allies
The original 28-point peace blueprint, drafted by Washington, has been the subject of intense negotiations in Geneva, where US, Ukrainian, and European representatives have been attempting to resolve differences ahead of a Thursday deadline set by former US President Donald Trump.
Trump, speaking on Saturday, said the proposal “is not my final offer,” in an apparent signal that Washington may revise its position further depending on Kyiv’s response. The plan has drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials and several of Kyiv’s key partners.
According to reports, the draft would require Ukraine to cede additional territory to Russia, scale back its military capabilities, and formally abandon its pursuit of NATO membership — conditions that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said leave him facing a stark dilemma between the “loss of our dignity or the risk of losing a key partner.”
On Saturday, the leaders of nine European nations, along with Japan, Canada, and senior EU officials, issued a joint statement voicing alarm over proposed military limitations, warning that such restrictions “would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”
The conflict, now in its fourth year, has continued to reshape European security and global diplomacy, with Kyiv insisting that any peace plan must guarantee its long-term sovereignty and territorial integrity. Washington, meanwhile, is seeking a framework it hopes could open the way for broader international negotiations.
Talks in Geneva are expected to resume in the coming days as Kyiv prepares its formal response to the revised 19-point U.S. proposal.
(Source: Anadolu Agency)
