U.S. and Ukraine Revise 28-Point Peace Plan After Intense Geneva Talks

KYIV — In a high-pressure round of diplomacy in Geneva, the United States and Ukraine made substantial revisions to a previously contentious 28-point peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia. The negotiation came against the backdrop of mounting pressure from Washington — including a push for Kyiv to agree to the deal by Thanksgiving — and intense pushback from European allies.

Originally, the draft plan carried heavy concessions toward Moscow, sparking outrage in Kyiv and among its Western backers. But over the course of talks led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, many of those provisions were softened or rewritten altogether.

One Ukrainian adviser, Oleksandr Bevz, described the Geneva meetings as “tense and tough but productive.” He noted that provisions previously framed as ultimatums are now being shaped into a more flexible, workable document.

By Monday, the plan had been slimmed down from 28 to about 19 points, according to an official familiar with the discussions. While the core of the original American proposal remains intact, both sides agreed to remove sections unrelated to Ukraine. That move was specifically intended to protect Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from committing to terms that extend beyond his country’s immediate interests.

Key shifts include NATO-related language: Ukraine insists its membership aspirations should be decided through NATO’s established rules, while rejecting earlier clauses that would have imposed a blanket veto. On the question of territory, Ukraine pushed back hard against any forced withdrawals. Zelensky has so far authorized only himself to negotiate territorial issues.

Meanwhile, European partners — namely France, Germany, and Britain — put forward their own version of the plan. Their counter-proposal increases Ukraine’s military cap from 600,000 to 800,000 troops in peacetime, and frames reconstruction as contingent on Russia compensating for damages, rather than simply accessing its frozen assets. They also propose a U.S.-style security guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5.

In public, European leaders expressed cautious optimism. António Costa, President of the European Council, said the discussions were moving in a “positive direction,” though significant issues remain.

Nevertheless, the Kremlin has yet to receive a formal version of the revised plan. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow was monitoring media reports closely — but had not been officially briefed on the latest draft. Meanwhile, a top Russian aide, Yuri Ushakov, dismissed the European counter-proposal as “completely unconstructive.” Putin, however, earlier suggested that the original 28-point framework “could serve as a basis” for a settlement.