The White House said talks in Geneva on a plan to end Russia’s war in Ukraine were “focused”, “respectful” and “highly productive.”
US and Ukrainian negotiators agreed that any future agreement must fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver a just, lasting peace, according to a statement on the White House website.
Both sides drafted an updated “peace framework.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of “tremendous” progress after a day of meetings. The statement provided few details but said the US and Ukraine agreed to do “intensive work on joint proposals in the coming days.”
The Ukrainian delegation referred to a new version of the US draft plan, which has yet to be published, saying it “already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities”.
Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make the final decision on any agreement. Rubio stressed that “there are a couple issues that needed to be worked on” before trying to bring onboard the Kremlin, which welcomed the original proposal. “Obviously, the Russians get a vote.”
“They will also remain in close contact with their European partners as the process advances,” the statement said. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated on Monday that the talks resulted in a “decisive success” for Europeans, as all issues related to Europe, including NATO, were removed from the plan.
📷: AFP
