US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spent the last several days in Geneva leading high stakes negotiations aimed at creating a viable peace framework to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. According to the US State Department, Rubio held extensive closed door meetings on November twenty third with a delegation led by Ukrainian presidential adviser Andriy Yermak, along with European security officials. Following the talks, Rubio described the discussions as highly optimistic and productive, emphasizing tremendous progress in narrowing disagreements over a controversial twenty eight point US peace plan. The proposal, which Rubio referred to as a living breathing document, is being revised daily based on new input from all parties, reflecting its complexity and the evolving nature of the negotiations.

Rubio downplayed the importance of the Thanksgiving deadline originally set by President Trump for Ukraine to accept the deal. He stressed that while the desire is to end the war as soon as possible, he did not consider the date a rigid line, instead pointing to ongoing technical level discussions. Rubio acknowledged that while the agreement with Ukraine was advancing, any lasting peace would also require buy-in from Moscow and that the Russians ultimately get a vote on any final framework. He stated unequivocally that Ukraine’s future security and sovereignty were nonnegotiable aspects in the ongoing talks.

There has been significant scrutiny in Washington over the US plan, especially after some lawmakers claimed the original draft appeared weighted toward Russian interests, labeling it a wish list for Moscow. Independent Senator Angus King and others said Rubio told them the plan was not the administration’s proposal but rather a starting point influenced by Russian suggestions. Rubio has publicly pushed back, clarifying that senators misunderstood his comments and defended the administration’s intent to build a truly mutual agreement.

European leaders are also closely watching the negotiations. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and emphasized that any plan undermining this would be unacceptable for key NATO allies.

Rubio’s approach in Geneva was widely seen as an effort to bring clarity and cohesion to the US position and reassure both Ukrainian and European counterparts. While the details of the revised peace document remain unreleased, a joint White House and Ukrainian presidential statement announced that the original hardline language has been softened, with a greater focus on upholding Ukrainian sovereignty.

Technical teams continue negotiating, and Rubio maintains optimism that a deal can be reached soon, although he cautioned against declaring victory prematurely. The Secretary emphasized that lives are at stake and that every day matters as the process moves forward.

Thank you for tuning in and be sure to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI