Ukraine to meet US in Switzerland to discuss Trump’s plan to end war – Firstpost

Ukraine and the United States will soon hold talks in Switzerland on Washington’s proposed plan to end the war with Russia, Kiev said on Saturday, as it sought changes to a draft that includes many of Moscow’s demands.

“We are launching consultations between high-ranking officials of Ukraine and the United States on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement.” Rustam Umerovthe Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council wrote on Telegram.

The planned discussions come as Ukraine and its European partners struggle to formulate a coordinated response to a 28-point peace proposal presented by the US this week.

US President Donald Trump has given Kiev less than a week to approve the plan, which would require Ukraine to leave territory, reduce the size of its military and commit to never joining NATO.

European allies, who were not involved in drafting the resolution, said it needed “additional work” as they attended the meeting. shore The G20 summit was held in South Africa to prepare a counter-proposal aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position.

“In the coming days, there will be consultations with partners regarding the necessary steps to end the war,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said after issuing an order naming Ukraine’s negotiating team led by his top aide Andriy. Yermak,

“Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and do what is needed to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion,” Zelensky said. He has been holding a series of phone calls with European leaders and has promised to work tirelessly to ensure that any final deal will secure Ukraine’s future.

Umerovwho will also attend the talks, had earlier hinted at Switzerland as the venue. He described the upcoming discussions as the next stage of ongoing talks focused on aligning the positions of Kiev and Washington. A former defense minister, Umerov Before this, he had participated in several rounds of talks with Russia. turkeyWhich resulted only in exchange of prisoners and return of bodies.

Zelensky’s order also said that the talks would include “representatives of the Russian Federation.” Moscow has not yet confirmed whether it will participate.

needs more work

Western leaders gathered in South Africa for the G20 summit on Saturday said a unilateral US plan to end the war in Ukraine “is a foundation on which additional work will need to be done”.

“We are clear on the principle that borders should not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limits on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack,” the leaders of major European countries, as well as Canada and Japan, said in a joint statement.

France’s Emmanuel Macron sent a somber message to the gathering earlier, saying “the G20 may be coming to the end of a cycle,” referring to a unilateral U.S. plan to resolve the Ukraine war, adding that the group was struggling to resolve major crises around the world.

Britain, Germany, and France emerged as major supporters of Ukraine, and provided it with significant military and financial assistance, especially after US sponsorship diminished after Trump returned to office.

tough choice

Zelensky said in an address to the nation on Friday that Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, adding that he would propose an alternative to Trump’s proposal.

“The pressure on Ukraine is one of the toughest pressures. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either a loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,” Zelensky said in his address, referring to a possible breakup with Washington.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the blueprint could “lay the foundation” for a final peace deal, but threatened to seize more land if Ukraine walked away from talks.

Better equipped and in larger numbers, the Russian army is slowly but steadily gaining ground on the long front line.

Ukrainians meanwhile were facing their toughest winter since the war began, as Moscow launched a brutal bombing campaign against energy infrastructure.

It comes as a sweeping corruption investigation exposed corruption in the energy sector in Kyiv, sparking public outrage.

with inputs from agencies