Ukrainian negotiators have left Geneva following talks on proposals to end the war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as questions linger over whether a deal could be struck by US President Donald Trump's Thanksgiving deadline.
"I am expecting a full report this evening on the progress of the talks in Geneva and the principal emphases of our partners," Zelenskyy said on social media on November 24.
"Based on these reports, we will determine the next steps and the timing. We will continue coordinating with Europe and other partners around the world."
Zelenskyy didn't elaborate.
The two sides had said the talks in the Swiss city showed "meaningful progress" toward ending the war and led to an "updated and refined" framework that would "fully uphold" the war-torn country's sovereignty and deliver a just peace.
The November 23 statement out of Washington did not provide specifics or detail what changes had been made to a 28-point peace plan that was put forward by Trump and criticized by Kyiv's supporters as being too Russia-friendly.
"The talks were constructive, focused, and respectful, underscoring the shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace," the US-Ukraine joint statement said.
"They reaffirmed that any future agreement must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver a sustainable and just peace. As a result of the discussions, the parties drafted an updated and refined peace framework," it added, without elaborating.
Trump himself did not immediately comment on the substance of the talks, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appeared to indicate after consultations with European Union leaders that a November 27 deadline set by Trump for Ukraine's acceptance of the plan was unlikely.
"It is a laborious process," Merz said after discussions on the sidelines of the European Union-African Union summit in the Angolan capital Luanda, adding that "at best, there will be minor steps forward this week."
"The next step must be: Russia must come to the table...And if this is possible, then every effort will have been worthwhile."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on November 24 that Moscow has yet to receive any information from Washington on the talks.
"We haven't seen any plan yet. We've read the statement issued after the discussions in Geneva. Certain amendments have been made to the text we saw earlier. We're waiting. It seems the dialogue over there is continuing, some contacts will continue. Once again, for now, we have not received anything officially," Peskov said.
Along with Ukraine's European allies, many US lawmakers -- including some Republicans -- had assailed the original proposal, with some calling it a Kremlin "wish list."
The White House statement said the "Ukrainian delegation affirmed that all of their principal concerns -- security guarantees, long-term economic development, infrastructure protection, freedom of navigation, and political sovereignty -- were thoroughly addressed during the meeting."
A Zelenskyy-Trump Meeting?
Multiple Western news agencies cited unnamed sources as saying US and Ukrainian officials were discussing a potential visit by Zelenskyy to Washington -- as early as this week -- to discuss matters with Trump.
Reuters quoted one source as saying the talks would focus on the most sensitive issues in a 28-point peace plan put forward by Trump -- such as the possibility of Ukrainian territorial concessions to Russia.
The original plan was not officially disclosed, but it has been leaked and published by news outlets.
The terms required sweeping concessions by Kyiv and appeared to mirror many of the Kremlin's demands -- including the surrender of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions -- known as the Donbas -- and Crimea, along with setting limits on the size of Ukraine's military.
Kyiv would also be required to set a constitutional prohibition on joining NATO, while restrictions would be put on the Western military alliance itself regarding the stationing of its troops. Financial sanctions on Moscow would also be eased under the plan.
In return, Ukraine would receive some form of “security guarantees,” most notably from the United States, be allowed to join the European Union, and receive some financial benefits. Russia would also be required to withdraw from some Ukrainian areas it currently occupies.
Amid the pushback from US lawmakers and foreign allies, Trump has left open the possibility of changes being made to the plan.
Details Of European Plan
The German dpa news agency said an alternative European plan would not require Ukraine to cede any territory that it still controls and would set a higher cap on the size of its armed forces -- to 800,000 soldiers, instead of the 600,000 limit in the US proposal. Ukraine would also receive strong security guarantees.
Also, Ukraine's membership in NATO would not explicitly be ruled out, and Russia would not be granted a general amnesty for war crimes, dpa reported, without citing its sources.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would have a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on November 24 to discuss peace efforts in Ukraine.
Multiple Casualties In Kharkiv
Meanwhile, as the talks were under way in Geneva, the killing continued in the full-scale war that is edging near the four-year mark.
Ukrainian officials said Russia had launched a "massive" drone attack on Kharkiv on November 23, killing at least four people and injuring 17 others in a residential area.
Russia has conducted almost nightly missile and drone launches on Ukrainian residential, commercial, and infrastructure sites. The Kremlin denies targeting civilian areas despite widespread attacks on such areas.
Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have left millions of people without heating or power for many hours each day. A ground offensive in eastern Ukraine has also increased pressure on Kyiv as it looks to negotiate peace terms.
Ukraine has responded by sending drones against energy and other sites inside Russia that Kyiv says are used to launch attacks against Ukrainian cities.
Russia has also suffered power outages, and its economy has been severely damaged due to war expenditures and Western sanctions.
