Ukraine and the US have made significant changes to the original "peace plan" aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine, with some key demands from Russia dropped or toned down. The revised 19-point plan now includes provisions that Kyiv can live with, but still falls short of Moscow's maximalist goals.
The negotiations, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, took place in Switzerland on Sunday, marking a shift away from the original 28-point plan. While progress has been made, European leaders have warned that no deal can be reached quickly and that more work remains to be done.
Ukraine is pushing for Europe to be fully involved in the talks, with Kyiv's first deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya stating that some issues had been "placed in brackets" for Trump and Zelenskyy to discuss later. The US vice-president, JD Vance, has agreed to involve European countries in the process.
However, Moscow remains committed to its hardline stance, with Putin's top foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov saying that parts of the plan would require further reworking. Russia has rejected a European counter-proposal that changes the meaning and significance of key points concerning Nato membership and territory.
As tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate, both sides have reported casualties. At least three people were killed by Ukrainian strikes in Russia's Rostov region on Tuesday morning, while authorities in Kyiv reported one person killed and seven wounded after a barrage of missiles and drones targeted the country's energy sector.
European leaders have welcomed the progress made so far, but stressed that more work remains to be done. The European Council president António Costa said that while issues remain, "the direction is positive", while the German chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the need for both Europe and Russia to be fully involved in the talks.
Talks are expected to continue, with a group of countries supporting Ukraine discussing the issue in a video call on Tuesday. The chairs of the parliamentary foreign affairs committees of 20 European countries have issued a rare joint statement saying that just and lasting peace must be grounded in international law and respect Ukraine's territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty.
The negotiations, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, took place in Switzerland on Sunday, marking a shift away from the original 28-point plan. While progress has been made, European leaders have warned that no deal can be reached quickly and that more work remains to be done.
Ukraine is pushing for Europe to be fully involved in the talks, with Kyiv's first deputy foreign minister Sergiy Kyslytsya stating that some issues had been "placed in brackets" for Trump and Zelenskyy to discuss later. The US vice-president, JD Vance, has agreed to involve European countries in the process.
However, Moscow remains committed to its hardline stance, with Putin's top foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov saying that parts of the plan would require further reworking. Russia has rejected a European counter-proposal that changes the meaning and significance of key points concerning Nato membership and territory.
As tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to escalate, both sides have reported casualties. At least three people were killed by Ukrainian strikes in Russia's Rostov region on Tuesday morning, while authorities in Kyiv reported one person killed and seven wounded after a barrage of missiles and drones targeted the country's energy sector.
European leaders have welcomed the progress made so far, but stressed that more work remains to be done. The European Council president António Costa said that while issues remain, "the direction is positive", while the German chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the need for both Europe and Russia to be fully involved in the talks.
Talks are expected to continue, with a group of countries supporting Ukraine discussing the issue in a video call on Tuesday. The chairs of the parliamentary foreign affairs committees of 20 European countries have issued a rare joint statement saying that just and lasting peace must be grounded in international law and respect Ukraine's territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty.
and honestly i'm not too sure if it's gonna work out... i mean, both sides are still super far apart on some stuff 
like nato membership and territory 
. and what really gets me is that europe's supposed to be more involved in the talks 
but russia is still being super hardline 
. we need to make sure that both sides can come together and find common ground 
, or else it's just gonna drag on forever 
.
Like, can't they just compromise a bit? And why do the Europeans have to keep saying "the direction is positive" every time they talk about this? Is it because they're trying to be optimistic or something? 
I also don't get why Russia rejected that European counter-proposal about Nato membership. It's like, what's the big deal? 
And have you seen those casualty numbers lately? At least three people killed by Ukrainian strikes in Russia... that's just devastating. 
i mean its about time europe stepped in tho russia has been all over the place with this whole thing anyway think they gotta drop their demands on nato membership cuz thats just gonna be a huge problem for them what if ukraine joins NATO? russia would be like "peace out" 
seriously though, its great that european leaders are welcoming progress and stuff but still gotta get to the bottom of things this conflict is getting so crazy 
And I guess it's good that Europe is being more involved now, but also, what's the hurry, you know? We need time for all this to make sense. 
. But still, we need more than just a bunch of empty promises 
.
What do you guys think?
. It's like they're playing this delicate game of diplomacy where everyone's gotta be careful not to lose face 
. European leaders are trying to keep things balanced, but it's hard when you've got two powerful nations like Russia and the US involved 
. Can't wait to see what happens next... maybe we'll get a breakthrough or maybe it'll all fall apart 
And can we talk about how European leaders are getting along 
. JD Vance stepping in is a good move 
, but I'm not holding my breath for Russia to come around 
.
. I mean, come on, can't they see we're all tired of watching you two fight? 
And what's with the brackets for later? Sounds like a bad negotiation tactic to me... "Hey, let's talk about Ukraine's future, but only after we've reworked some stuff" 
. Let's just hope this doesn't turn into another long shot 
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. The US has been pretty cool too, showing up with Marco Rubio as their lead negotiator 
...not that I'm expecting a miracle or anything 
. It's all about getting those countries to talk to each other and figure out some kinda solution 
.
another day, more bloodshed 
at least 3 ppl killed by ukrainian strikes in russia 
and dont even get me started on the 19 point plan, its like they just watered down russia's demands 
anyway, ukraine seems to be getting some traction with europe involved now that's good news! JD Vance stepping up is a plus too 
at least 3 ppl killed by ukraine strikes in russia? that's no joke 
meanwhile europe's trying to keep it all together with antónio costa saying "the direction is positive" 
sounds like they're trying not to lose their minds over here 
Like, both sides gotta come together, but Russia's being super tough on this Nato membership stuff... 
On the other hand, I'm glad European leaders are involved - it's like they're saying, "Hey, we care about this too." 
But seriously, with all these concessions being made and stuff... I feel like Ukraine's getting a bit more ground from their side, but Russia's still holding out. 
. And I think it's cool that European leaders are pushing for them to be more involved in the talks - we need to make sure everyone is on the same page here 
first before we can even think about talking turkey 
.
. I'm no expert, but I just don't see how a peace plan that doesn't address Russia's concerns can be sustainable in the long term 
. The US and Europe are trying to mediate, but ultimately, it's going to take more than just words for a lasting peace to happen 
, and I'm all about that 
. Russia's still being hardline, but hey, negotiations are all about compromise 
. gotta keep the energy positive for these talks to work out 
