A tremendous amount of progress has been achieved in talks to finalize a US-proposed peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
But there's still some work to be done, Rubio said after meeting Ukrainian and European negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted signals that President Trump's team is receptive to their concerns.
Ukraine and its allies have voiced apprehensions regarding leaked proposals that appear to favor Russia, raising concerns about Ukraine's dignity in negotiations. Zelensky remarked that Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either losing dignity, or risking losing a key partner.
Rubio indicated that both the US and Ukrainian negotiators had made substantial headway in narrowing down open issues from the US's 28-point plan, although final agreement hinges on further discussions involving the US and Ukrainian presidents before sending proposals to Russia.
Meanwhile, the talks focus on the contents of a controversial US draft detailing troop withdrawals and border freezes while limiting Ukraine's military personnel and addressing NATO membership concerns.
Despite concerns from European allies about the proposals favoring Russian interests, Rubio remains optimistic that a resolution may be reached very soon.
