US-Ukraine 'consultations' on Trump's peace deal to begin in Switzerland 'in coming days,' Umerov says
Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional reporting.
Delegations of senior officials from the U.S. and Ukraine will meet in Switzerland "in the coming days" to discuss the new peace proposal put forward by the White House this week, Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said on Nov. 22.
Other international partners of Ukraine aside from the U.S., as well as a Russian delegation, will take part in the negotiation process, according to a presidential decree published on Nov. 22.
President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed that representatives from the E3 — an informal European security alliance of the U.K., France, and Germany — would take part in the talks.
Nine Ukrainian officials, including Andriy Yermak, head of the President's Office, and Kyrylo Budanov, the country's military intelligence chief, are set to attend the meeting, the decree said.
Ukraine's delegation reportedly arrived in Geneva on Nov. 22.
Washington's delegation would include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, CNN reported on Nov. 22, citing an unnamed official.
Representatives from the EU, U.K., France, and Germany will also attend the talks, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) first reported, citing sources at the G20 summit.
"The adviser to the French president will go to Geneva tomorrow (Sunday) with colleagues from the E3 (Britain, France and Germany)," one source reportedly said.
German magazine Bild reported, citing its sources, that the European leaders are expected to meet with their U.S. counterparts on Nov. 23 to discuss the proposed plan.
Politico reported that Bjoern Seibert, the head of cabinet for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Pedro Lourtie, a top aide to European Council President Antonio Costa, are expected to head the EU delegation beginning Sunday.
In the latest push to end the war in Ukraine at any cost, Trump is pressing Kyiv to accept a peace proposal built around sweeping Russian demands, such as surrendering the entire Donbas region and capping the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in return for a Western security guarantee.
French President Emmanuel Macron also announced that the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" is set to meet virtually on Nov. 25 to discuss the proposed deal.
Trump set Kyiv a Nov. 27 deadline to decide whether to accept the demands or lose the support of its most powerful ally.
"Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests," Umerov said on Facebook.
"This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."
Umerov, a former defense minister who has been a key player in Ukraine's peace talks process, faces allegations that he may have manipulated the clause in the peace proposal, which could qualify as criminal action being taken against Ukrainian officials found guilty of corruption.
Umerov denied the allegations, stating that he had neither approved nor changed any clauses of the peace plan.
A senior U.S. official speaking to the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity refuted Umerov's statement.
"This plan was drawn up immediately following discussions with one of the most senior members of President Zelensky’s administration, Rustem Umerov, who agreed to the majority of the plan, after making several modifications, and presented it to President Zelensky," the official said.
Without clarifying a specific date for the launch of the talks, Umerov said that Ukraine appreciates the U.S.' readiness for a discussion.
"Ukraine will continue to act responsibly, professionally, and consistently — as required by our national security," Umerov said.
