(Washington, D.C.) The 28-point peace plan proposed by the United States to end the Russia-Ukraine war has sparked controversy. President Trump stated that the plan is not the final version, implying there is still room for negotiation. Representatives from the United States, Ukraine, and Europe met in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the proposal.
Washington also insists that the plan is official U.S. policy, denying claims by some U.S. senators that Secretary of State Rubio told them the document was a Russian "wish list."
The 28-point plan is clearly biased towards Russia, including demands for Ukraine to cede territory, reduce its military size, and pledge never to join NATO. The plan has been hotly debated since it was revealed on Thursday (November 20), and Kyiv is seeking revisions from the U.S.
On Friday (November 21), Trump demanded that Ukraine accept the plan by Thursday (November 27) at the latest. However, when asked by reporters on Saturday (November 22), he said that the plan was not his final proposal and that he hoped to end the war "anyway."
Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Kellogg, told Fox News that the plan is "still under development."
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News: European Version of Peace Plan Submitted to US and Ukraine
Ukraine's European allies did not participate in drafting the proposal. European leaders, after an emergency meeting on Saturday during the G20 summit in South Africa, emphasized that the plan provides a foundation for peace between Russia and Ukraine, but still needs further refinement.
Reuters, citing German government sources, reported that a draft European peace plan based on a US proposal has been submitted to the Ukrainian and US governments.
Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, said that Ukraine and Europe will submit a counter-proposal to the US, demanding security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause and that frozen Russian assets be used for the reconstruction and reparations of Kyiv. They rejected Moscow's demand for Kyiv to cede unoccupied territories in the east. Furthermore, the US will receive compensation for providing strong guarantees to Ukraine; unless Moscow agrees to compensate for its losses, Russian assets will remain frozen.
Rubio and US Presidential Envoy Witkov arrived in Geneva on Sunday (23rd) to meet with representatives from Ukraine and Europe to discuss the US proposal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would send a delegation led by his senior aide, Yermak, to the talks, and stated that Russia would also send representatives, though Moscow did not confirm its participation.
Zelenskyy stated that he would "consult with our partners on the steps needed to end the war."
He said, "Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine's national interests and how to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion." Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and launched a full-scale offensive in 2022.
US Senators: Rubio Says Plan Not Official US Position
Following strong criticism of the US proposal for being almost entirely biased towards Russia, three US senators held a press conference on Saturday during the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada to clarify their position. The three are Republican Mike Rounds, Independent Angus King, and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen.
They revealed that Rubio stated the current Ukraine proposal was not the official US position, but rather a "Russian wish list."
"He (Rubio) told us that this was not a U.S. proposal. It was a proposal by someone... on behalf of Russia. This proposal was given to Witkov. This is not our proposal. This is not our peace plan," said Lanz.
Shaheen said she and Lanz spoke to Rubio by phone while he was en route to Geneva. Lanz said Rubio was "very frank" during the call.
However, Rubio refuted their claims in a post on the social media platform X on Saturday night. He insisted: "The peace proposal was drafted by the United States. It is intended to provide a strong framework for the ongoing negotiations. It is based on the input from the Russian side, as well as the input from the Ukrainian side, both previously and continuously."
Russia claimed on Sunday that it had occupied more Ukrainian territory and accused Ukrainian drones of attacking a heating power plant in Moscow, causing a fire that left thousands of residents without heating. This is believed to be one of the largest attacks by Kyiv on power plants in Russia to date.
