Geneva – United States and Ukraine Talks aimed at finding an acceptable peace plan concluded on Monday in Switzerland For both parties, after agreeing to amend the North American proposal to end the Russian invasion, which Kiev and its European allies considered tilted in favor of the Kremlin.
Washington and Kiev said in a joint statement that they had prepared a draft “Revised Peace Framework” After the first day of talks in Geneva on Sunday, though, they did not provide specific details.
ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, She celebrated “important steps” on Monday Which happened at the top and was reported via X The Kyiv delegation was returning to Ukraine. However, he also confirmed that it remains There is still much to be done to end the war with Russia.
Last week, the United States surprised by presenting a 28-point peace plan An ultimatum for Ukraine to agree before Thursday A framework that would end the war. But Washington has since said the deadline may not be firm.
“We have made tremendous progress” “I can tell you that the points that remain unresolved are not insoluble. We just need more timeFor his part, the head of North American diplomacy announced, marco rubio, For reporters.
Zelensky may travel to the United States this week To discuss the most sensitive aspects of the plan face to face with the President of North America, Donald TrumpAccording to sources familiar with the matter.
It is also scheduled for Monday Meeting on Ukraine between leaders of European Union countriesWhile the French President said: Emmanuel MacronA video meeting of the coalition of countries supporting Kyiv was announced on Tuesday.
Despite the negotiations… Russian forces launched an attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv during the nightFour people died and 17 others were injured.
The initial version of the document presented by the United States was welcomed by the Russian President. Vladimir Putin, By meeting several demands from MoscowSuch as Ukraine giving up its territory, agreeing to reduce the size of its army and permanently refraining from joining NATO.
In parallel, The plan offered Western security guarantees to Kiev To prevent any new Russian attack.
But according to a joint statement issued by the United States and Ukraine at the end of Sunday’s discussions, the two countries have drafted it “A new and revised version of the peace framework”.
In this new version, Washington and Kiev confirmed this Any future agreement must fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty“, according to the summary text issued by the White House.
The North American president initially gave his Ukrainian counterpart until November 27 to respond to his proposal. But he indicated on Saturday that this plan was not his “last offer.”.
Rubio also hinted at some flexibility regarding the calendar. “We want this to be done as quickly as possible. Obviously we would like it to be Thursday“Announce.
Russian officials have not yet seen the amended text The Kremlin spokesman said that the peace plan was subject to amendments made over the weekend Dmitry Peskovon monday.
He added that there is currently no plan for the American and Russian delegations to meet this week. But the Russian side remains “open to such contacts.”.
Several European leaders also celebrated what they called progress in the right direction in the Geneva talks, though they offered few details and stressed that the negotiations still had a long way to go.
british prime minister, Keir StarmerI talked about it ‘Great progress’ In the discussions that took place on Sunday between delegations from the United States, Ukraine and European countries. His spokesman said, “The Prime Minister welcomes the significant progress made in yesterday’s meetings.” There is still “unfinished business” Which must be addressed in the coming days and weeks.
From Berlin, the Prime Minister of Germany Friedrich MerzHe was more cautious and claimed to be so “Sceptical” that the deal can be completed before November 27. Merz claimed to have put forward a proposal that, he said, might allow “at least a first step to be taken on Thursday.”
The Spanish Prime Minister expressed a similar assessment, Pedro SanchezHe warned that there were still “many elements to be discussed” after the EU leaders’ meeting on peace in Ukraine. He emphasized that It prefers an agreement that guarantees “permanent” peace rather than an immediate signature.
finnish president, Alexander StaubHe also celebrated progress, but insisted that “big issues” still needed to be resolved. “Negotiations have made progress, but there are still major issues that need to be resolved,” he wrote in X, referring to Sunday’s meeting in Switzerland.
In parallel, Türkiye It also seeks to build bridges between Russia and Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that Pres Vladimir Putin He intends to speak by phone with his Turkish counterpart. Recep Tayyip Erdoganlater this Monday. According to Erdogan’s office, the two leaders will analyze the 2022 agreement that allowed Ukraine to safely export grain through the Black Sea, an agreement that Moscow allowed to expire when it saw that measures to facilitate Russian exports of food and fertilizers were not being met.
Meanwhile, Russian drones launched raids on residential areas in the city of KharkivUkraine’s second-largest city, damaged eight residential buildings, an educational institution and several power lines, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Sinyhopov.
The regional prosecutor’s office published photos showing houses on fire, gardens covered in debris, and teams of firefighters and war crimes prosecutors working in the area.
The Ukrainian Air Force indicated that Russia 162 attack and decoy drones were launched overnight against different parts of the country. Part of these devices were also directed towards the south: the Romanian Ministry of Defense reported that Moscow had resumed its nighttime drone attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and ports. Close to the Romanian borderThis fact prompted Bucharest – a member of NATO – to deploy two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and two F-16 aircraft to carry out surveillance missions.
In parallel, Russia denounced the Ukrainian attacks on its territory. on monday, Russian air defenses shot down eight drones heading towards MoscowAccording to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The Russian Ministry of Defense later raised the number and indicated that ten Ukrainian drones had been shot down in three regions: Moscow, Kaluga, and Bryansk, the latter on the border with Ukraine. Emergency services were working in the area where one of the two devices fell.
The increase in attacks came the next day A Ukrainian drone will arrive at the Shatura power plantabout 120 kilometers east of Moscow, leaving thousands of residents without heat as authorities connected to backup power and deployed mobile heating systems amid near-freezing temperatures.
Ukraine has suffered frequent power and heating outages in recent weeks due to Russian attacks, but – so far – Kyiv failed to inflict serious damage on the stations supplying Moscow and its surrounding areasa region with a population of more than 22 million people.
AP, AFP, ANSA and Reuters