Ukraine says US considers Kyiv’s priorities amid peace talks in Geneva as Trump rants about Ukraine, Europe
A Ukrainian delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, is working on a "workable solution" for ending Russia's war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Nov. 23.
The delegation, led by Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, has met with the American and European representatives to discuss the new peace proposal drafted by the U.S.
"Currently, there is an understanding that the American proposals may take into account a number of elements that are based on the Ukrainian vision and are critically important for Ukraine's national interests," Zelensky wrote.
Umerov wrote on Facebook that the current version of the agreement, though not final, already takes Ukraine's priorities into account.
"We appreciate our American partners working closely with us to understand our concerns to reach this critical point and we expect to make more progress today," Umerov wrote.
The U.S. has begun a new push for a peace deal this week, presenting to Ukraine a proposal that many see as capitulation to Russia. Politicians in both the U.S. and Europe have spoken out about the leaked 28-point plan that would force Ukraine to cede the unoccupied part of Donbas, cap its army at 600,000 soldiers, abandon NATO aspirations and stationing foreign troops in Ukraine. Russia, in turn, would be expected to promise to not re-attack Ukraine or attack Europe and reflect that in the Russian law.
Washington has set Nov. 27 as the deadline for making progress on the deal and may reportedly cut weapons supplies or access to intelligence if Kyiv doesn't cooperate.
As Ukrainian leaders reported about progress in negotiations, Trump took to Truth Social to denounce Ukrainian and European handling of the peace process, repeating his recurring criticism.
"Ukraine leadership has expressed zero gratitude for our efforts, and Europe continues to buy oil from Russia," Trump wrote.
Trump also returned to what has become his perennial refrain when it comes to Ukraine: "I inherited a war that should have never happened."
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and continued its aggression during Trump's first term as president from 2017-2021.
