US-Ukraine talks reduce peace proposal to 19 points: Report

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – The US peace proposal for ending the war in Ukraine has been pared back from 28 points to 19 after talks in Geneva, US and Ukrainian officials said, describing the discussions as constructive but not final, US media reported on Monday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "tremendous" progress had been made during negotiations with Ukrainian and European counterparts, but that more work was still needed.

A joint US-Ukraine statement said the meeting showed “meaningful progress toward aligning positions.”

People briefed on the talks told the Financial Times that nine provisions were removed from the original draft but did not specify which.

European officials had earlier objected to some points concerning sanctions and frozen Russian assets, saying those decisions fall under EU authority.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb called the reduction a “step forward,” while stressing that several major issues must still be resolved.

- Concerns over plan

The 28-point US plan to end the over three-and-a-half-year war is on the table in Geneva, where representatives of Washington, Kyiv, and European capitals met to discuss details.

Trump said Saturday that the US-drafted plan would not be his "final offer," as the proposal has sparked concerns in Kyiv and among its allies.

The draft appears to require Ukraine to surrender additional territory to Russia, limit the size of its military, and formally abandon its bid to join NATO. Trump has given his Ukrainian counterpart until Thursday to respond.

Zelenskyy said he faces a tough choice: either the "loss of our dignity or the risk of losing a key partner."

On Saturday, the leaders of nine European countries plus Japan, Canada, and top EU officials expressed concern over the plan's proposed limitations on Ukraine's armed forces, warning that they "would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack."