Ukraine and the United States appear to be edging closer to a peace deal over the war with Russia, in a potentially significant diplomatic shift following crunch talks in Switzerland.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Kyiv was ready to move forward with a framework to end the war with Russia.
In a day of fast-moving developments, Kyiv said it supported the “essence” of the Geneva plan while stressing there were still some sensitive issues that needed to be fixed.
US president Donald Trump, who last week imposed a deadline of this Thursday for Ukraine to accept, said he thought a deal was now “very close”.
“We’re going to get there,” he told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “I think we’re getting very close to a deal – we’ll find out ... I think we’re making progress.”
On Tuesday night Mr Trump said his plan to end the war in Ukraine has been "fine-tuned" and that he is sending envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin and army secretary Dan Driscoll to meet Ukrainian officials in a bid to iron out a “few remaining points of disagreement” between the warring countries.
But Mr Trump also said he will only meet with Putin and Mr Zelensky in the "final stages" of the peace deal.
Mr Zelensky said: “We worked with the Ukrainian negotiating team today [Tuesday] on the text of the document prepared with the United States in Geneva. The principles in this document can be developed into deeper agreements. It is in our shared interest that security is real.
“I count on continued active cooperation with the American side and President Trump. Much depends on the United States because it’s America's strength that Russia takes most seriously. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine.”
A Ukrainian official familiar with the ongoing negotiations said that the US appears to have agreed to a document set out by Europe’s allies in Geneva – but not the previously presented US plan.
The Swiss summit over the weekend gave Europe a brief window to present its own peace proposal, a revision of an earlier American draft seen to favour Russia without offering Ukraine any tangible security guarantees.
Ukraine’s security chief Rustem Umerov said that the delegations had now reached a common understanding on what he called the “core terms” of the Geneva agreement.
Sir Keir Starmer said changes proposed to the draft peace plan are “constructive” and “could be accepted”.
Speaking at the start of a meeting of Coalition of the Willing allies, the prime minister said: “I welcome some of the developments that have now come forward.
“It was a chance to ensure that the draft plan fully reflects Ukraine’s interests and lays the ground for a lasting peace.”
“They’ve proposed some constructive changes,” he continued. “And of course some of our national security advisers were there in Geneva to support the talks.
“So I do think we’re moving in a positive direction – and indications today that in large part the majority of the text looks as though, Volodymyr is indicating, could be accepted.”
Ukraine will be seeking clear assurances that the US and Europe can uphold any peace deal with a dependable deterrent against any future invasion.
In a speech to the coalition, Mr Zelensky called on European leaders to put together a framework for a “reassurance force” in Ukraine, while continuing to support Kyiv if Russia shows no willingness to end the conflict.
French president Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that peace efforts are gathering momentum and “are clearly at a crucial juncture”.
“Negotiations are getting a new impetus. And we should seize this momentum,” he said during the allies’ video conference.
Ukraine now hopes to organise for Mr Zelensky to visit Washington by the end of November to speak to the US president, the second such visit in one month.
However, any deal agreed between the US and Ukraine would still require agreement from Russia.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was impossible to comment on the developments between the US and Ukraine amid an “information frenzy”.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the original framework presented by the US – widely condemned as a “Russian wishlist” – was the only “substantive” outline for peace.
Earlier, US Army secretary Daniel Driscoll, who only became part of the American negotiating team less than two weeks ago, met Russian officials for several hours in Abu Dhabi.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt hailed the latest development as a major step in the right direction.
“Over the past week, the United States has made tremendous progress towards a peace deal by bringing both Ukraine and Russia to the table,” she said in a statement on X (Twitter).
“There are a few delicate, but not insurmountable, details that must be sorted out and will require further talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States.”
The diplomatic developments came hours after Russia launched a wave of overnight attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, with at least seven people killed in strikes that hit city buildings and energy infrastructure.
A Ukrainian attack on southern Russia killed three people and damaged homes, authorities said.
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