The United States and Ukraine have announced an “updated and refined peace framework” to end the war with Russia, hours after European countries proposed their own alternative plan. The joint statement came following a meeting in Switzerland between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak, with Rubio expressing optimism about progress. The statement emphasised that any eventual deal would “fully uphold” Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The original 28-point US document, leaked last week, had faced criticism for demanding Ukraine cede territory to Russia, limit its army size, and drop pursuit of war crimes charges against the Kremlin. The updated framework seeks to address these concerns, though details remain scarce. Rubio admitted the initial plan was conceived in Moscow but later insisted the US was its author, amid confusion over its origins.
European allies, blindsided by Washington’s initiative, published their own Kyiv-friendly plan on Sunday. It proposes negotiations over territory after a ceasefire, starting from the current frontline, and does not require Ukraine to withdraw from cities in eastern Donbas. The European plan also leaves the door open for Ukraine’s Nato membership, though it notes a lack of consensus, and suggests capping Ukraine’s peacetime army at 800,000 soldiers—200,000 more than the US draft.
Other proposals include transferring the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with power split equally between Russia and Ukraine. Frozen Russian assets would fund reconstruction rather than being given to US investors, and sanctions could be eased if Moscow respects a “sustainable peace”. European leaders at the G20 summit signalled the US plan needed “additional work”, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk questioning its authorship.
Speculation suggests the original document may have been written in Russian and later translated into English, drawn up by Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Trump’s representative Steve Witkoff. Amid backlash from Republican senators, President Donald Trump rowed back from demanding Zelenskyy sign off by Thursday, calling it “not my final offer”. Rubio and Witkoff met Ukrainian officials in Geneva, with Rubio reporting “tremendous progress” and optimism for a deal “very soon”.
