GENEVA, Switzerland, 24 November (H.S.): United States and Ukrainian negotiators announced a significant breakthrough on Sunday, agreeing to an updated and refined peace framework after a weekend of intense talks that were nearly derailed by a public dispute between their presidents and widespread condemnation of the initial U.S. proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the tremendous amount of progress made in Geneva, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated there were signals that President Trump's team is hearing us.

Overcoming a Contentious Start

The talks began under a cloud of controversy following the leak of a 28-point U.S. draft plan that was widely seen as heavily favoring Russia. The original proposal reportedly required Ukraine to cede de facto control of Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk; withdraw its troops from parts of the Donbas it currently holds; and accept a permanent cap on its military personnel at 600,000, down from its current level of about 880,000.

In exchange for abandoning its NATO aspirations, Kyiv would receive vague reliable security guarantees.The plan, which also suggested Russia's reintegration into the G8, was met with alarm in Kyiv and European capitals. The situation was further inflamed when U.S. President Donald Trump, on Sunday, accused Ukraine's leadership of showing zero gratitude for American efforts.

However, a quick and conciliatory response from President Zelenskyy, who personally thanked Trump for U.S. aid, appeared to reset the tone for the Geneva meeting.

A 'Productive and Meaningful' Meeting

Following the talks, Secretary Rubio described the session as a very good day, stating that the negotiating teams had substantially narrowed the open items from the initial draft. A joint U.S.-Ukraine statement confirmed the progress, announcing that an updated and refined peace framework had been agreed upon and that intensive work on joint proposals would continue in the coming days.

While Rubio denied knowledge of a rumored alternative plan drafted by the UK, France, and Germany, the outcome of the Geneva talks suggests that European and Ukrainian concerns were significantly addressed in the revised framework.

The Path Forward

The breakthrough has seemingly softened the impending Thanksgiving deadline that President Trump had set for Ukraine to approve a deal . Secretary Rubio expressed optimism that a final agreement could be reached very soon, whether this week or next . However, he stressed that any agreement would first need to be signed off by both President Trump and President Zelenskyy before being presented to Russia for its approval.

While a major diplomatic hurdle appears to have been cleared, the ultimate success of the peace initiative now rests on the final details of the revised plan and the immense challenge of securing Russian consent.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar