Revised US Peace Proposal for Ukraine Incorporates Key Ukrainian Demands

A newly developed draft of a United States peace initiative aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine now includes several crucial priorities raised by Ukrainian officials, according to recent diplomatic discussions. The document, which is still undergoing final approval, is reported to align with most of Ukraine's primary requirements. This progress emerged following a series of negotiations in Geneva involving representatives from Ukraine, the United States, and European countries.

According to Ukrainian security officials, the latest version of the US proposal reflects significant adjustments to address Ukraine's national interests. The United States, represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, engaged in talks with Ukraine's delegation, led by Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, as well as foreign policy advisers from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

The talks in Geneva have been described as productive by all sides, with participants emphasizing that the remaining issues are not insurmountable. The current focus is on refining the proposal further before formally presenting it to the Russian government for consideration. Both US and Ukrainian representatives expressed optimism about reaching a mutually acceptable solution in the near future, with continued collaboration and coordination with European partners.

The original US peace plan, recently presented to the involved parties, contained 28 points that included provisions for territorial concessions by Ukraine in eastern regions, limitations on the Ukrainian military's size, and a renunciation of NATO membership aspirations. These stipulations had been met with strong opposition from both Ukraine and its European allies, who argued that the terms crossed established red lines and required significant revisions.

In response to these concerns, the diplomatic negotiations in Geneva centered on amending the plan. European partners, particularly Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, submitted a counterproposal that rejected several central elements of the initial US draft. For instance, the European proposal called for limiting Ukraine's peacetime military to 800,000 personnel, as opposed to 600,000 as suggested in the US plan, and advocated for negotiations over territorial status based on the current military contact line, rather than recognizing certain territories as under de facto Russian control.

Another contentious issue involved the use of frozen Russian assets held in Western countries. While the original US plan proposed investing $100 billion into a reconstruction fund for Ukraine with the US receiving half of the profits, the European stance was that these assets should remain frozen until Russia provides reparations for war damages in Ukraine.

The revised US proposal is now said to offer enhanced security guarantees for Ukraine, modeled after Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which commits allies to collective defense. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that the updated plan contains elements important to Ukraine's national interests and expressed gratitude for ongoing US and European support.

Despite these advancements, some differences remain regarding the roles of the European Union and NATO in Ukraine's future security architecture, as well as the specifics of the security guarantees. The US administration has indicated that further negotiations will aim to resolve these outstanding issues before the plan is presented to Moscow for approval.

Previously, the US had set a deadline for agreement on the peace plan, but both Ukraine and its European allies refused to accept the proposed timeline, citing concerns that it could force Ukraine into a disadvantageous position. European leaders have also criticized the lack of prior consultation in the drafting of the US proposal and stressed that any settlement must involve full participation from both Ukraine and its European partners.

As the negotiations move forward, all parties have reiterated their commitment to ensuring any final agreement upholds Ukraine's sovereignty and lays the foundation for a durable and just peace. The next round of discussions will focus on bridging the remaining gaps and formulating a plan that is acceptable to Ukraine, its allies, and ultimately, Russia.