LONDON, Nov 25: European partners offered a guarded nod to Washington’s latest attempt to reshape its earlier peace outline for Ukraine, which many in Kyiv and Europe felt tilted toward Moscow’s toughest conditions, Al Jazeera reported.
Leaders from Germany, Finland, Poland and the United Kingdom said Monday that the latest round of talks in Geneva between US and Ukrainian officials produced some movement. Both sides described the outcome as a refined framework, according to Al Jazeera.
Even so, European leaders kept expectations in check. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said some sticking points had been addressed but warned that peace would not arrive quickly. He added that the original US draft had been changed in many areas and welcomed the progress reached so far.
Speaking from Angola, Merz said Russia must now join the process. He predicted a tough week ahead with only steady but slow advances in the talks, Al Jazeera said.
Let’s live in peace and embrace diversity
The push for revision followed a shock announcement from US President Donald Trump last week. He had unveiled a 28-point plan that critics said echoed Moscow’s demands, including more Ukrainian concessions on land, military limits and an end to NATO hopes.
In response, Britain, France and Germany sketched their own proposal. It would freeze fighting on the current front lines and delay any settlement on land issues. It also offered a US security commitment similar to NATO guarantees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the revised plan now had fewer points and included elements he considered reasonable. He planned to raise the most sensitive items directly with Trump, Al Jazeera noted.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the group of countries backing Ukraine planned to hold more talks by video on Tuesday. Diplomats from several European states also met Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha on Monday to review next steps.
European Council President Antonio Costa spoke of fresh energy in the discussions. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said the bloc would stay engaged with fellow supporters of Kyiv.
Trump later signaled that Sunday’s talks in Geneva had gone better than expected. He wrote that some progress might be taking shape, although he urged caution. He has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to settle on a workable outline and accused him of showing no appreciation for US efforts. Zelenskyy still described Trump’s approach as constructive and said Ukraine would continue seeking compromises that safeguard its interests, added Al Jazeera.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the negotiations sensitive and said no one wanted to push the US away from its central role. The Kremlin said it did not yet have full details about the Geneva talks. Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the earlier US proposal could still offer a basis for a final arrangement. Russian aide Yuri Ushakov dismissed the European counter plan as unacceptable.
Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova said Russia would resist any framework that overlooks its conditions and believes it still has the upper hand militarily.
Zelenskyy said Putin only wants legal approval for occupied territory. Meanwhile the war carried on with Russian forces intensifying attacks across eastern and southern Ukraine. Drone strikes and shelling killed and injured civilians in Kharkiv, Pavlohrad and Kherson. Zelenskyy warned Ukrainians to remain alert as Russia might try to derail the talks. Russian air defenses also shot down Ukrainian drones aimed at Moscow, according to Al Jazeera.
