US and Ukraine Draft ‘Refined Peace Framework’ After Outrage Over Russian ‘Wish List’
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
The United States and Ukraine have announced that peace negotiations in Geneva led to “an updated and refined peace framework,” days after the original 28-point peace plan proposed by the U.S. sparked outrage for being overly favorable to Russia.
A joint statement released by both countries on Sunday night made clear that the original plan would be modified “[a]s a result of discussions.”
“The discussions showed meaningful progress toward aligning positions and identifying clear next steps,” the statement read. “They reaffirmed that any future agreement must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver a sustainable and just peace.”
The most recent peace negotiations, which began on Sunday in Switzerland, were held in part to address Ukraine and European nation’s concerns over the U.S.-proposed peace plan presented to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
President Donald Trump has pushed Ukraine to accept the deal by November 27, although when asked by reporters if it was his “final offer,” the president said, “No, we’d like to get to peace.”
The proposed U.S. deal sparked outrage on Saturday after several American senators said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the plan was not President Donald Trump’s idea, but rather a “wish list” from the Russians that was leaked to the press.
“Secretary Rubio did make a phone call to us this afternoon,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-ND) said during a press conference at the Halifax International Security Forum on Saturday. “I think he made it very clear to us that we are the recipients of a proposal that was delivered to one of our representatives. It is not our recommendation, it is not our peace plan. It is a proposal that was received. And as an intermediary, we have made arrangements to share it. And we did not release it. It was leaked. It was not released by our members or our representatives.”
Both Rubio and the principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department Tommy Pigott have denied those claims, which were also made by Sen. Angus King (I-ME).
“The peace proposal was authored by the U.S. It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations,” wrote Rubio on X. “It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”
Tensions heightened as negotiations to revise the proposed plan began on Sunday when Trump posted to Truth Social denouncing Ukraine’s “LEADERSHIP” for not expressing gratitude for U.S. assistance in the conflict — despite Zelensky thanking Trump and the U.S. both before and after their heated argument in the Oval Office in February.
“UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY OIL FROM RUSSIA,” Trump wrote. “THE USA CONTINUES TO SELL MASSIVE $AMOUNTS OF WEAPONS TO NATO, FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UKRAINE (CROOKED JOE GAVE EVERYTHING, FREE, FREE, FREE, INCLUDING ‘BIG’ MONEY!). GOD BLESS ALL THE LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE HUMAN CATASTROPHE!”
Zelensky seemingly responded to Trump later that day, posting a video saying, “Everyone is offering support, giving advice, providing information — and I am grateful to each and every person who is giving this help to us, to Ukraine. It is important to ensure that the steps to end the war are effective, and that everything is doable. Ukraine has never wanted war, and we will never be an obstacle to peace.”
Peace talks will continue on Monday while European leaders, many of whom sent delegations to Geneva, are expected to discuss the peace proposal while meeting for a summit between the European Union and the African Union.
Rubio called the current talks “the most productive and meaningful meeting we’ve had so far,” acknowledging that a final deal may take longer to formulate than Trump’s Thanksgiving deadline. Still, he said he was still “confident” that the group would find a solution to end the war.
