What we're covering
• Top US diplomats will hold talks with Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva today as the clock ticks on President Donald Trump’s Thursday deadline for Kyiv to accept his 28-point proposal to end the war with Russia.
• It remains unclear at this stage whether delegations from Ukraine, the US and European allies will all meet together in Geneva, a Western diplomat told CNN. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed cautious optimism the talks will be “constructive.”
• Trump indicated yesterday the proposal on the table is not his “final offer.” As it stands, the plan is widely considered favorable to Russia. European leaders say the framework needs “additional work” as they try to reestablish a role in the talks.
Ukraine’s chief of staff sidesteps CNN question on whether they would reject US-drafted peace proposal
Ukraine’s Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak sidestepped a question over whether Ukraine is going to reject a US-drafted peace proposal, instead telling CNN’s Matthew Chance that Kyiv’s delegation is preparing for “constructive conversation” with the US.
“We are preparing for a constructive conversation,” Yermak said, as representatives from both countries prepare for an imminent meeting in Geneva.
For context: Western and European leaders yesterday expressed concern over the proposal, saying it was only “an initial draft” that “will require additional work.”
The "bloodshed must be stopped," Zelensky says amid Geneva talks
We’ve also heard today from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said “the bloodshed must be stopped” as he expressed cautious optimism that the talks in Geneva could yield results.
The Ukrainian leader said it is good that diplomacy has been “reinvigorated” and that the conversation can be “constructive.”
Some context: It comes after concerns were raised over the US-drafted peace plan which is the focus of today’s discussions. The proposal is widely seen as favoring Russia.
European leaders have since sought to emphasize that a peace deal cannot be reached without the consent of Ukraine or its European allies.
South African president jokes about US absence as he wraps up G20 summit
Meanwhile, South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa wrapped up the two-day G20 leaders’ summit earlier today.
He added during his closing remarks that the event “now moves on to the next president of the G20 which is the United States, where we shall see each other again next year.”
However, after making his speech, Ramaphosa could be heard joking about the US’ absence while the microphone remained on.
“Where is the United States?” a voice can be heard asking Ramaphosa. “They’re not here,” Ramaphosa says in response, while laughing.
For context: The Trump administration boycotted this year’s summit after President Donald Trump cited allegations, which have been discredited, that South Africa’s Black majority government persecutes its White minority as his rationale for skipping the event.
The US offered to send the US chargé d’affaires for the G20 handover, something South Africa’s presidency initially rejected.
A chargé d’affaires is a diplomat lower in ranking than an ambassador and is used as the title of the head of a US mission where the US and another country do not have full diplomatic relations, according to the National Museum of American Diplomacy.
Unclear if delegations from all countries will meet together, source tells CNN
It remains unclear at this stage whether delegations from Ukraine, the US and European allies will all meet together for talks in Geneva, a Western diplomat has told CNN.
The concern is that the US representatives “will not let us (European delegations) in the tent,” the source said.
Besides the US and Ukrainian delegations, representatives from NATO, the EU, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada are in Geneva for talks, the diplomat said.
As we reported earlier, Ukraine’s chief of staff has confirmed that the Ukrainian delegation has held its first meeting with officials from the UK, Germany and France, and will next hold a meeting with US representatives.
First meeting between Ukrainian and European officials wraps in Geneva
The Ukrainian delegation holding talks in Geneva, Switzerland has had its first meeting with representatives from key European allies, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak has said.
“The Ukrainian delegation, appointed by President Zelensky, has begun its work in Geneva,” he added, in a post on X.
The delegation “held the first meeting with the national security advisors of the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany: Jonathan Powell, Emmanuel Bonne, and Günther Sauter.”
Ukraine’s representatives will next meet with the US delegation, Yermak said.
For context: US, Ukrainian and European officials are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, today to discuss next steps for ending the war in Ukraine as Kyiv’s allies move to assemble a cohesive response to the Trump administration’s 28-point plan ahead of a Thursday deadline to accept it.
Trump's Ukraine plan is déjà vu all over again for alarmed Europeans
Washington’s allies could be forgiven for a sense of déjà vu today, scrambling to unstitch another plan for Ukraine born in the USA but with Russian fingerprints all over it.
The 28-point plan to halt the Russia-Ukraine conflict sent European leaders, along with those of Canada and Japan, into triage mode on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa.
Their shock at such a bare and vague poorly-crafted proposal was reflected politely in a statement saying that the plan – devised by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian official Kirill Dmitriev - “will require additional work.”
One aspect of the plan, straight out of Moscow’s playbook, especially alarmed them, “the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”
Another was the way the plan sought to derail Europe’s halting efforts to use frozen Russian assets – most of which are held in Europe – as a loan to tackle Ukraine’s yawning deficit. And the suggestion that the US would act as an arbitrator between NATO and Russia, not as the leader of the alliance.
As much as its specific points, it is the overall tenor of the plan – and its implications far beyond Ukraine – that unnerve European leaders.
“Wars cannot be ended by great powers over the heads of the affected countries,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
What's in the 28-point peace plan?
As we’ve been reporting, the Trump administration has put together a new 28-point proposal to end the war in Ukraine that includes many concessions to Russia.
According to a draft, its provisions would include Kyiv ceding territory to Russia, giving up any ambitions to join NATO, and limiting the size of its army.
Like the proposal the Trump administration crafted which led to the ceasefire in Gaza, the Ukraine plan reads as bullet-pointed list, laying out commitments each side would make in order to drive a lasting end to the conflict.
The plan calls for a halt to fighting, global funding for reconstruction and a board overseeing the commitments led by the US president. The draft plan’s veracity was confirmed by a US official.
Many of the ideas put forward in the 28-point plan have been rejected in previous negotiations.
The plan calls for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the parts of eastern Donetsk that they currently control, “and this withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation.”
US officials said the plan was still being worked on, and that any final agreement would require concessions from both sides.
For subscribers: You can read the plan annotated by our correspondents, point by point, here.
What US, Ukrainian and European officials will discuss in Geneva today
Top US, Ukrainian and European officials are due to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, today to discuss next steps for ending the war in Ukraine as Kyiv’s allies move to assemble a cohesive response to the Trump administration’s 28-point plan ahead of a Thursday deadline to accept it.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to join the talks, a US official said. The goal of the meeting is to iron out language before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with Trump, the official added.
British, French and German national security advisers are also due to meet with their Ukrainian and US counterparts, according to a diplomatic source.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also said he plans to speak with Zelensky today to discuss the peace plan, Reuters reported.
Also: Planning for a separate meeting between a Russian delegation and the US to discuss the proposal is in the works and “will happen quickly,” the US official said – but not in Geneva.
A group of Western and European leaders who met on the sidelines of the G20 in South Africa yesterday welcomed the uptick in diplomatic efforts but expressed concern over the proposal, saying it was only “an initial draft” that “will require additional work.”
The talks in Switzerland come ahead of a proposed meeting between EU leaders on Monday.
CNN’s Sophie Tanno, Nick Paton Walsh and Jennifer Hansler contributed reporting.
European leaders have expressed reservations about Trump's Russia-Ukraine proposal
Largely left out in the cold as President Donald Trump pressures Kyiv to accept his 28-point Ukraine peace plan, European leaders have been regrouping this weekend and trying to establish a role in peace talks.
If you’re just catching up, here’s a quick rundown:
• A potentially lopsided deal: Trump appears to be giving Moscow almost everything it wants, with the proposal calling for Kyiv to cede territory, limit the size of its military and promise not to join NATO in exchange for an end to the war.
• Europe on the back foot: Trump’s proposal was drawn up with little input from Ukraine or Europe. Huddling on the sidelines of the G20 summit yesterday to discuss the proposal, Kyiv’s allies scrambled to assemble a coordinated response, balancing a desire to push back against the proposal without alienating the US president.
• What they’ve said so far: While welcoming the US efforts in a statement yesterday, the European Council highlighted the “proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces” in the draft document as a particular area of worry. While noting the plan includes “important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace,” the European leaders said the outline needs “additional work.”
• A seat at the table: National security advisers from Germany, France and the United Kingdom will attend today’s meeting in Geneva with top US and Ukrainian officials, a diplomatic source told CNN. And for his part, Trump has indicated that the American team may have some leeway to modify the proposal, telling reporters yesterday that it’s not his “final offer.”
We’ll keep you updated on the latest from Geneva and on any wider developments from the Trump administration — stay with us.
