Trump's Plan to End the War.. Ukrainian-American-European Talks Tomorrow

Ukrainian, American, and European officials will meet on Sunday in Switzerland to discuss President Donald Trump's plan to end the war that has been ongoing for nearly four years, an initiative that Kyiv and its European allies are seeking to modify.

Kyiv views this 28-point plan with great concern, as it includes several key Russian demands: Ukraine's concession of territory, a reduction in the size of its army, and the abandonment of the idea of joining NATO. However, the plan also offers Kyiv Western security guarantees to prevent any future Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the plan on Friday, asserting that he would propose "alternatives" to the Americans.

After urging him to accept it, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that his plan is not a final offer, expressing hope that fighting would stop "one way or another."

In light of this potential openness, an American official confirmed to AFP that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff will arrive in Geneva on Sunday.

The same official noted that U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who was received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday in Kyiv, had already arrived in the Swiss city on Saturday.

He continued, "We will hold an informal preparatory meeting during dinner on Saturday evening" between the Americans and Ukrainians.

A source told AFP that the National Security Advisor to President Emmanuel Macron "will head to Geneva tomorrow with his colleagues from the group of three European countries (Germany, France, Britain)." Another source clarified that "the discussion will take place between the United States, the group of three European countries, and the Ukrainians."

Italy will also be represented by the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, according to an Italian diplomatic source.

In Johannesburg, Macron announced on the sidelines of the G20 summit a video meeting on Tuesday afternoon for the "Coalition of the Willing" supporting Ukraine, emphasizing that without "deterrent measures, the Russians will return."

Leaders of major European countries, along with Canada and Japan, stated in a joint declaration on the sidelines of the summit that they "welcome ongoing U.S. efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine," adding that the plan "includes important elements" to achieve this goal.

However, they considered that the U.S. plan "forms a basis that will require further work."

They added, "We are clear about the principle that borders cannot be changed by force. We are also concerned about the proposed restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces, which would make Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks."

Zelensky issued a decree to form the delegation tasked with participating in talks with Washington. This delegation will be led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak and will include the head of the Ukrainian Security Council Rustem Umerov, heads of security and intelligence agencies, and the Chief of General Staff of the army, giving the delegation a particularly military character.

The Ukrainian president stated, "In the coming days, consultations will take place with partners regarding the necessary steps to end the war."

He added, "Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine's national interests and what is necessary to prevent Russia from launching a third attack."

Umerov, who previously held the defense portfolio, said, "This is another stage of the ongoing dialogue in recent days, primarily aimed at unifying our vision for the next steps." Umerov had led several rounds of negotiations with Russia in Turkey, which resulted only in prisoner and body exchanges.

Zelensky's decree also stated that the negotiations would include "representatives of the Russian Federation," but no immediate confirmation of Russia's participation was issued.

- "We must end the war" -

Zelensky said in a speech to the nation on Friday, "The pressure on Ukraine is very intense. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice between losing dignity or the risk of losing a major partner."

He added that his country is going through "one of the most difficult moments in its history," explaining that he would propose alternatives to Trump's plan.

The American president gave his Ukrainian counterpart until November 27, which coincides with Thanksgiving in the United States, to respond to his peace plan.

However, when asked by reporters on Saturday whether his plan was his final offer to Kyiv, Trump replied, "No." He added, "We are trying to end the war. One way or another, we have to end the war."

Trump had stated to reporters at the White House on Friday, speaking about Zelensky, "He better like it, and if he doesn't, well, you know, they will have to keep fighting."

For his part, Vladimir Putin considered that the plan could "form a basis for a final peaceful settlement," asserting that he is ready "for in-depth discussions on all details" of the text prepared by Washington, warning of the continuation of the war if Kyiv rejects the plan.

The plan stipulates the "recognition" of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, in addition to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, "as de facto Russian territories," including by the United States.

It also states that "Ukrainian forces will withdraw from the part they currently control in the Donetsk region," and the front line in the partially Moscow-occupied Kherson and Zaporizhia regions will be "frozen."

It also calls for breaking Russia's isolation from the Western world by reintegrating it into the G8 and gradually lifting sanctions, with a clear provision in the Ukrainian constitution against joining NATO.

Kyiv must limit the size of its army to 600,000 soldiers and rely on the protection provided by European fighter jets stationed in Poland, while NATO commits to not deploying forces in Ukraine.