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Delegations from the US, Ukraine and key European allies are beginning consultations in Geneva today on the proposed peace plan.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine and its European partners will insist that any territorial talks with Russia can take place only after a ceasefire along the current front line. Sources familiar with Europe’s counterproposal say it will be presented to US negotiators on November 23.
In their response to the Trump administration’s 28-point plan, European allies call on Washington to provide NATO Article 5–style security guarantees for Ukraine and demand that frozen Russian assets be used for reconstruction and compensation. They also reject Moscow’s demand for Ukraine to hand over non-occupied eastern territories.
Under the European proposal, the US would receive “compensation” for providing strong guarantees, while frozen Russian assets would remain blocked until Moscow agrees to pay damages to Ukraine. Other sanctions could be lifted gradually if Russia complies with the agreement.
The Washington Post previously reported that Europe’s counterproposal includes:
– no limits on the size of Ukraine’s Armed Forces;
– restoring Ukrainian control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant and the Kakhovka dam;
– secure navigation on the Dnipro;
– and control of the Kinburn Spit.
The European response comes as the US, Ukraine and European allies meet in Geneva. Trump continues to push for a rapid deal, at one point calling November 27 a “deadline” for Kyiv to accept the plan. Media have reported US pressure on Ukraine, including threats to halt intelligence sharing and weapons supplies, though Trump denied that the plan delivered this week is final.
The US proposal requires Ukraine to withdraw from certain eastern territories that Russia failed to occupy fully. It also includes limits on Ukraine’s military and several concessions favorable to Moscow — conditions widely criticized in Europe and Ukraine.
G7 countries, including Canada and Japan, have joined European leaders in rejecting any territorial concessions by Kyiv or limits on Ukraine’s army. According to Axios, President Zelensky was given a separate draft on security guarantees: any future “significant, deliberate and sustained” Russian attack on Ukraine would be treated as a threat to the entire transatlantic community, prompting a response — including military force — from the US, UK, France and Germany.
Overall, Trump’s new plan demands painful concessions from Ukraine but also offers an unprecedented promise: for the first time, the former president is willing to discuss robust US and European security guarantees for Ukraine. WP notes, however, that current guarantees are “not yet strong enough”, and Washington is considering supplying long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached.
