(Kyiv, Combined Dispatch) It has been reported that the Trump administration's 28-point peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war has been reduced to 19 points and modified after consultations between the US and Ukraine, making it more acceptable to Ukraine.
The 28-point peace plan proposed by Washington included the cession of territory by Kyiv, disarmament, and a commitment to never join NATO. This plan was not only unacceptable to Ukraine but also widely criticized, as it was seen as clearly biased towards Russian interests.
US and Ukrainian officials announced last Sunday (23rd) after consultations in Geneva that they had drafted a revised version of the peace plan, aimed at upholding Ukrainian sovereignty. Kyiv stated that the new plan basically reflects Ukraine's core demands.
The revised plan has not yet been released. Kremlin spokesman Peskov also said on Monday (24th) that Russia had not received formal notification of the revised plan.
However, The Washington Post reported on the same day that the original 28 points had been reduced to 19. The report quoted Bevz, a Ukrainian official involved in the Geneva talks, as saying, "Many controversial clauses have been softened, or at least readjusted, to be closer to Ukraine's position or to reduce the demands placed on Ukraine."
Further Reading
In an interview with the Financial Times, Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister, Kislytsa, even stated that the new draft bore almost no resemblance to the original version, saying, "Very little of the original content remains."
In his evening video address on Monday, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that the new plan currently being discussed with the US and Europe is "no longer 28 points" and incorporates "many correct points."
He said, "Our team reported on the new draft steps today, which is indeed the right direction. As for sensitive issues and the most difficult problems, I will discuss them directly with President Trump."
Trump had originally wanted Zelensky to accept the ceasefire plan before Thanksgiving (April 27), but Bevz said that this deadline now "seems more flexible."
However, Ukrainian officials revealed that overall pressure on Ukraine remained during the Geneva talks. While the US did not directly pressure Kyiv to accept the ceasefire plan by threatening to cut off aid, Ukraine understood that this was entirely possible.
Reuters previously cited sources reporting that Zelensky might travel to the US as early as this week to discuss sensitive issues in the peace plan with Trump. However, White House Press Secretary Levitt said on Monday that there were no such arrangements this week.
She also denied that Trump had favored Moscow in the mediation process, and said the US-Ukraine talks were productive with only a few points of disagreement; she also described Trump as optimistic about achieving peace.
Russia Opposes European "Counter-Proposal"
Britain, France, and Germany also put forward a "counter-proposal" during the US-Ukraine consultations, proposing several major modifications to the 28-point plan, including not imposing limits on the size of the Ukrainian army or defense industry.
Russia expressed its opposition to this proposal. Russian presidential advisor Ushakov said that the European proposal was not constructive and did not serve Russia's interests.
He said that there is currently much speculation about the peace plan, and Russia only trusts information obtained directly from the US. Many clauses of the peace plan discussed by the Russian and US leaders during their meeting in Alaska in August are acceptable to Russia. The US will contact Russia soon to discuss the details of the peace plan, but specific arrangements have not yet been determined.
While the US is mediating, fighting continues between Russia and Ukraine on the battlefield. Russian forces launched another drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Monday night, killing six people; Ukrainian forces also carried out a heavy airstrike on Russia's Rostov region, resulting in three deaths.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated on Tuesday that Russian forces intercepted and destroyed 249 Ukrainian drones before dawn. This is one of the highest figures released to date.
