KEY POINTS
- Russia says it sees some “positive aspects” in the latest US peace plan.
- Kremlin aide says the proposal has not yet been discussed with any country.
- Trump says the new draft revises an earlier 28-point plan.
- Ukraine says it reached an “understanding” with the US after Geneva talks.
- US envoys will visit Moscow and Kyiv next week for further negotiations.
MOSCOW: Russia said on Wednesday that it had received the latest draft of a US peace plan to end the war in Ukraine and viewed parts of it positively, but stressed that other points required detailed discussion.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told a Russian state television reporter that the document needed “truly serious analysis” and had not yet been discussed with any country.
Ushakov said some aspects of the proposal could be welcomed, but many points needed expert-level talks. Washington has not published the updated plan.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that it was a revised version of an earlier 28-point proposal that Ukraine and Europe had rejected.
He said the United States would now send officials to meet both sides in the hope of finalising the agreement.
Kyiv and Washington narrow differences
Ukraine said later that it had reached an “understanding” with the United States after talks in Geneva.
Kyiv said several points it had opposed in the earlier draft had been removed. It remains unclear which conditions were changed or which remain under discussion. Deep differences remain between Russia and Ukraine on core issues, AFP reported.
The original plan, widely criticised in Europe, included demands for Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donetsk region and for Washington to accept Russian control over Donetsk, Crimea and Lugansk. Ukraine rejected those terms.
The Ukraine war started in February 2022. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the nearly four-year war.
US envoys to meet both sides
Trump said US special envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow next week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll would meet Ukrainian officials separately.
Kremlin aide Ushakov said that Witkoff’s visit to Moscow was planned and said Russia needed “serious discussions” on the document. He reiterated that the proposal had not yet been studied in detail.
US officials expressed optimism on Tuesday about diplomatic efforts to end the war but acknowledged that major obstacles remained. Ukraine’s European partners have warned against giving too much ground to Russia.
Europe pushes back against Russia’s demands
European leaders reacted cautiously to the renewed US push. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told lawmakers on Wednesday that Europe would support Ukraine “every step of the way” until a lasting peace was secured.
She said days of negotiations to refine the US draft had helped lay groundwork for a potential settlement, but she warned that Russia showed no real sign of wanting to end the war.
Von der Leyen said the EU was debating a plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund a €140-billion loan for Ukraine.
She said her executive would soon present a legal text, though Belgium, where most of the assets are held, has yet to give its approval. She said European taxpayers should not shoulder the full cost of supporting Kyiv.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also urged stronger backing for Ukraine. She warned against placing limits on Ukraine’s armed forces as part of any settlement.
Ushakov criticised European involvement in the talks, accusing EU governments of “meddling” in the peace process. The Kremlin said earlier on Wednesday that it expected Witkoff’s Moscow visit next week.
