Ukraine and the United States have reached consensus on most elements of the proposed American peace plan, but at least three critical issues remain unresolved, CNN reports, citing a Ukrainian source with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
The first point of contention concerns whether Ukrainian forces would withdraw from territory that Russia has incorporated into its constitution but has not yet captured militarily.
"It would be very wrong to say we have now the version that is accepted by Ukraine," the source told CNN.
The second disputed element involves limiting the size of Ukraine's armed forces. The source confirmed that a new figure has been proposed. However, according to CNN, Kyiv seeks further modifications before agreeing to any cap on military personnel.
The third unacceptable demand for Ukraine is the requirement to renounce NATO membership. Such a concession would effectively grant Russia veto power in the Alliance "which it is not even a member of," the source noted.
Background on the US peace plan
The Trump administration has prepared a peace plan regarding Russia's war against Ukraine. Media outlets reported that Washington developed the plan in coordination with Moscow, while Ukraine and the EU were not initially involved in the process.
The plan has not been officially presented; media outlets published details based on sources. Initial reports indicated it contained 28 points, including demands that Ukraine cede the remainder of Donbas, reduce its armed forces by half, freeze the contact line in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, and recognize Russian as a state language. The plan also envisaged lifting sanctions on Russia and halting investigations into war crimes committed by Russian military personnel.
Following discussions in Geneva, representatives from the United States and Ukraine prepared a revised framework document.
The Financial Times, citing its own sources, reported that the new peace plan was reduced from 28 points to 19. According to the publication, the updated version incorporated a counterproposal from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France regarding army size limitations. The document reportedly proposes a cap of 800,000 military personnel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the updated version of the draft peace plan does not contain all 28 points from the earlier proposal. He also suggested that the new version "may become workable."
