Ukraine is pushing to arrange a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump “at the earliest suitable date,” as Kyiv and Washington attempt to shape the next phase of a still-elusive peace plan to end the war with Russia, according to BBC News.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Tuesday that U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators had reached “a common understanding” on key elements discussed last week in Geneva. He added that Zelensky hoped to travel to the United States this month to finalize what he described as the deal’s remaining steps. The White House has not commented on the possibility of Trump-Zelensky talks.
The diplomatic flurry comes as U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll meets Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi, a session whose participants on the Russian side have not been publicly identified. A U.S. official traveling with Driscoll said Ukraine had agreed to the emerging peace framework, with only minor details left unresolved, though the State Department later pointed reporters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks that higher-level negotiations were still required.
Despite claims of progress, major gaps remain between what Kyiv and Moscow are willing to accept. Ukraine and several European allies sharply criticized an initial 28-point U.S. proposal as too accommodating to Russia. A revised version, reportedly shaped by the UK, France, and Germany, now excludes recognition of Russian held territories, increases Ukraine’s permitted military strength, and leaves open a path to eventual NATO membership. Zelensky welcomed these changes, saying they make a future agreement “doable,” while the Kremlin dismissed them as “completely unconstructive.”
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine traded heavy overnight strikes. Zelensky said 22 missiles and more than 460 drones hit Ukrainian cities, killing at least six people. Russia claimed it intercepted 249 Ukrainian drones, reporting three deaths in the Rostov region.
Trump, commenting after the Geneva talks, said “something good just may be happening,” but cautioned, “Don’t believe it until you see it.”
With tens of thousands dead and millions displaced since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, European leaders warn that any plan must ensure Moscow cannot launch another attack. “We can’t go back to business as usual,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
