The initial leaked proposal last week had raised alarm in Kiev and European capitals as it mirrored the Russian narrative, demanding that Ukraine cede territories, limit the size of its army, and drop pursuing the Kremlin for war crimes.
Following urgent talks in Switzerland, the Ukrainian and US delegations reached agreement on most points of the plan. They agreed to set aside key provisions such as territorial issues and the constitutional stipulation of Ukraine not joining NATO. These topics will be addressed in an upcoming in-person meeting between former President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Meanwhile, European leaders (UK, France, and Germany) have put forward a more favorable counterproposal to Kiev. This alternative categorically rejects the proposed cap on Ukrainian armed forces, suggesting a limit of 800,000 personnel in peacetime instead of the previously discussed 600,000. Additionally, the European proposal does not require Kiev to withdraw from cities it still controls in the Donbas region, nor does it rule out Ukraine's accession to NATO. The counterproposal also states that negotiations on territorial exchanges will start from the contact line, without pre-determining certain areas as "de facto Russian," unlike the initial US plan.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the US delegation, expressed being "very optimistic," describing the meeting as "the best day" throughout the process since January. However, the initiative requires final approval from the presidents, and the harsh reality of the war continues to cast a shadow, with devastating Russian attacks persisting in civilian areas, such as those recently suffered in Kharkiv. Pressure on Zelensky is mounting, not only due to the war but also because of a corruption scandal tarnishing his government. The Ukrainian president had recently responded to pressure from Trump, who had criticized Ukrainian leaders for showing "zero gratitude" for US assistance.