US and Ukraine refine draft of peace plan under Trump deadline pressure

The United States and Ukraine said they had created an “updated and refined peace framework” to end the war with Russia that apparently modified an earlier plan drafted by the Trump administration which Kyiv and its allies saw as too sympathetic to Moscow.

In a joint statement released after talks in Geneva between US and Ukrainian delegations, the two sides said their discussion was “highly productive” and said they would continue in coming days. They did not provide specifics about a host of issues that must be resolved, including how to guarantee Kyiv’s security from the threat posed by Russia.

In a separate statement, the White House said the new version included strengthened security guarantees, and that the Ukrainian delegation had said it “reflects their national interests”. Ukrainian officials did not provide a separate statement of their own and were not immediately available for comment.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the talks, told reporters in Geneva that work remained to be done on questions including the role of Nato, but that his team had narrowed down unresolved issues in a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine championed by US President Donald Trump.

US and Ukrainian delegations meeting in Geneva on Sunday. Photo: Keystone via AP

Earlier, Trump said Ukraine had not been grateful for American efforts over the war, prompting Ukrainian officials to stress their gratitude to the US president for his support.