Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed “important steps” after weekend negotiations with the United States in Geneva, but warned that the principal obstacle remains Moscow’s demand for legal recognition of Russian‑occupied areas in eastern Ukraine. Both sides said there was progress and agreed to continue intensive work.
Sunday’s Geneva session involved U.S. and Ukrainian officials only. The Kremlin said it had received no official update on outcomes and that no meeting with U.S. negotiators is scheduled this week, arguing it is inappropriate to deliberate on media leaks alone.
Talks centred on a U.S. 28‑point draft circulated last week. The original text drew criticism for envisaging territorial concessions, limiting the size of Ukraine’s armed forces and requiring Kyiv to abandon NATO membership-elements that alarmed Ukraine and several European allies.
In response, the E3-Britain, France and Germany-circulated a counter‑proposal that mirrors the U.S. draft point‑by‑point but deletes language halting NATO expansion, lifts any peacetime personnel cap to 800,000, and anchors talks on the current line of contact rather than ceding additional territory.
Moscow dismissed the European text as “completely unconstructive,” while indicating that many provisions of the U.S. version could be acceptable subject to further negotiation. It reiterated that formal documents are required before Russia will comment in detail.
A joint readout characterised the Geneva exchanges as “highly productive,” citing meaningful progress in aligning positions and setting next steps; according to the White House account referenced by the BBC, Kyiv believes the revised draft reflects Ukrainian interests.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described a “tremendous” amount of progress but released no specifics, underscoring the sensitivity of unresolved issues around territory and long‑term security guarantees.
Zelensky restated that Ukraine will not accept legal recognition of Russian‑held regions, arguing that doing so would breach the principle that borders cannot be changed by force and would invite future aggression.
President Donald Trump signalled cautious optimism on social media, writing: “Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening.”
Work now appears to focus on a streamlined 19‑point draft following revisions in Geneva. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed modifications but warned that no quick breakthrough is likely and questioned whether a U.S. Thursday deadline can realistically be met.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk was similarly guarded, saying he is “not sure” Europe is closer to peace. European capitals, wrong‑footed by the initial U.S. draft, are seeking a fuller role in the next stage of drafting and oversight.
Security architecture remains central. Ukraine’s course toward EU and NATO membership has been embedded in its Constitution since 2019, while NATO officials have discussed “Article 5‑type” assurances as a potential interim option short of membership.
Next steps are already being scheduled. A virtual “coalition of the willing” meeting convened by the U.K. and France is expected on Tuesday 25 November to review Geneva’s outcome and coordinate allied positions; any revised U.S.–Ukraine text would then be transmitted to Moscow, which says it awaits formal submissions.
For policy practitioners, the live variables are whether any paper references the current front line, how territory is described, the scale and duration of force caps, the handling of NATO language, the sequencing of sanctions relief against compliance milestones, and the design of monitoring and enforcement. Officials flagged progress but offered no timetable for leaders to meet.