US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the November 27 deadline set by President Donald Trump for Ukraine to support the US-backed peace plan is not set in stone and could be pushed back to next week, meaning there is still a lot of work to be done.
Before Rubio issued his cautious warning, the US and Ukraine held talks in Geneva on Sunday. Both sides said the talks made progress in reaching an agreement. Any agreement would need to be signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“This could be the most productive day we’ve had on this issue, perhaps the most productive day of our entire engagement, and at the very least the most productive day in a long time,” Rubio told reporters at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Geneva. “But the work continues, and because this is still a work in progress, I don’t want to declare victory or a final outcome here.”
According to a joint statement released by the White House, the two sides drafted an “updated and improved peace framework” and “agreed to continue intensive consultations on the joint proposal in the coming days.” Neither Rubio nor the White House disclosed any specific progress made during the talks. Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, had attended a press conference in Geneva with Rubio earlier but did not attend the remarks made by Rubio to reporters in the afternoon.
In a video posted on the X website, Zelensky also adopted a cautious attitude. He said, “It is important to ensure that the measures to end the war are effective and everything is feasible.”
He said, “It’s good that diplomacy is back in action. We have our national position, we have the dignity of Ukraine, and we must act in a way that strengthens it, not weakens it.”
Earlier on Sunday, Trump stepped up US pressure for a deal, posting on social media that the Ukrainian leadership showed “no gratitude” for America’s efforts to help Ukraine resist Russia’s full-scale invasion, which has been ongoing for four years.
According to two informed sources, US officials are urging Ukraine to accept the 28-point proposal to end the Russian war as the basis for negotiations and issue a statement to clarify its position.
In response to the blueprint supported by the United States and Russia, Zelensky earlier said on X that Ukraine “thanks the United States”, including “personally thanking President Trump” for the US aid provided.
Although Trump said last week that he hoped to reach an agreement by Thursday, Rubio proposed a more flexible schedule to allow for more negotiations.
“You know, whether it’s Thursday, Friday, Wednesday or next Monday, we just hope it can be realized as soon as possible,” he said.
Rubio led a U.S. delegation, including Army Secretary Dan Davis and Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, in a meeting with the Ukrainian side.
During an earlier break in the Geneva talks, Jermak thanked Trump and his team for their efforts to achieve peace. “We have made very good progress and are moving towards a just and lasting peace,” he told reporters.
Ukrainian officials and national security advisers from European countries held a meeting earlier on Sunday. People familiar with the matter said the United States currently opposes joint meetings between Ukrainian and European officials. These people requested anonymity because they were discussing internal consultations.
A person familiar with the matter said that after it was clear that Moscow had made a huge contribution to the plan, the United States asked Ukraine to prove that it had provided input for the proposal.
According to a previous report by Bloomberg, Ukraine and its European allies have drafted a counter-proposal, rejecting several of the terms. Many of the other terms proposed by the United States, including the release of all hostages (including children), are acceptable.
