Ukraine, U.S. officials say progress made on controversial peace plan, but offer few details

top out U.S. And Ukrainian officials said dominicus they were making get along toward finish the Russia-Ukraine state of war, but provided scant details as they discussed the American proposal to achieve peace — despite concerns among many of Washington's European allies that the plan was far too conciliatory to Moscow. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said high-stakes talks in Geneva were "very worthwhile" and constituted the most productive day in "a very long time" on larger efforts to end the fighting. 

"I feel very optimistic that we can get something done," said Rubio, who was joined at the talks by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff.

But he offered very little information on what was discussed, allowing only that discussions would continue on Monday and perhaps deeper into the week. He also suggested that Europe's role and responsibilities as spelled out under the U.S. Peace plan might be separated from facets more directly involving the responsibilities of Russia and Ukraine.

Russia will also need to approve the final peace plan, Rubio said.

The head of the Ukrainian delegation, presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak, also confirmed an initial session of talks had concluded and that a second meeting would soon take place.

"I want to confirm that we had a very productive first session with the distinguished American delegation. We have made very good progress and are moving forward to a just and lasting peace," he said.

"Very soon today the second meeting will take place, where we will continue to work on joint proposals with the engagement of our European partners. Final decisions will be taken by our presidents."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Sunday video address that there were signals that Trump's team "is hearing us."

"Diplomacy has been reinvigorated — and this is good," he said in a separate post on X. "We expect the outcome to deliver the right steps. And the first priority is a reliable peace, guaranteed security, respect for our people, and respect for everyone who gave their lives defending Ukraine from Russian aggression."

Trump has set a Thursday deadline for Ukraine to respond to the plan. But he also has suggested that could slide if there was proof of real progress, and that the plan was not his final offer. Rubio also undermined the idea that the deadline was looming, saying simply that officials want to see fighting stop as soon as possible. 

Questions intensified after a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators said Rubio told them Saturday that the plan had originated with Russia and was actually a "wish list" for Moscow, rather than a serious push for peace. 

The 28-point blueprint drawn up by the U.S. To end the nearly four-year war has sparked alarm in Kyiv and European capitals.

Zelenskyy has said his country could face a stark choice between standing up for its sovereign rights and preserving the American support it needs.

Writing on the social media platform Truth Social Sunday, Trump expressed his frustration that the conflict was still continuing, and said that he had inherited the war from the previous U.S. Administration.

"A WAR THAT IS A LOSER FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE SO NEEDLESSLY DIED. UKRAINE 'LEADERSHIP' HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY OIL FROM RUSSIA," he wrote.

After Trump's post, Zelenskyy said he was "grateful" for U.S.-led efforts on security, but stressed that "the crux of the entire diplomatic situation is that it was Russia, and only Russia, that started this war."

The proposal, originating from negotiations between Washington and Moscow, acquiesces to many Russian demands that Zelenskyy has categorically rejected on dozens of occasions, including Ukraine giving up large pieces of territory.

The Ukrainian leader has vowed that his people "will always defend" their home.

Speaking before Sunday's talks, Alice Rufo, France’s minister delegate at the Defence Ministry, told broadcaster France Info that key points of discussion would include the plan’s restrictions on the Ukrainian army, which she described as "a limitation on its sovereignty."

"Ukraine must be able to defend itself," she said. "Russia wants war and waged war many times in fact over the past years."

Why is Trump’s new peace plan pressuring Ukraine?

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday that Warsaw was ready to work on the plan with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, but he also said that it "would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created."

Some U.S. Lawmakers said Saturday that Rubio had described the plan as a Russian "wish list" rather than a Washington-led proposal.

The bipartisan group of senators told a news conference that they had spoken to Rubio about the peace plan after he reached out to some of them while on his way to Geneva.

Independent Maine Sen. Angus King said Rubio told them the plan "was not the administration's plan" but a "wish list of the Russians."

A State Department spokesperson denied their account, calling it "blatantly false."

Rubio himself then took the extraordinary step of suggesting online that the senators were mistaken, even though they said he was their source for the information. He doubled down on the assertion that Washington was responsible for a proposal that had surprised many from the beginning for being so favourable to Moscow.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he would hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. He said he would talk to the Russian leader about reviving a previous deal from July 2022 that allowed Ukraine to safely ship exports of grain via the Black Sea.

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