Peace Talks: US and Ukraine Make Progress, But Big Decisions Are Left

The US and Ukraine have been working on a new peace plan. They've come up with a 19-point draft, but the really tough decisions are still up in the air. These decisions will be made by the presidents of both countries. The talks were intense but productive. Both sides felt good about the progress they made. They agreed on many things but left the most controversial points for the presidents to decide. These include issues like territory and the relationship between NATO, Russia, and the US. The Ukrainians made it clear they weren't ready to make decisions about territory. Their constitution says any changes like that would need a national vote. The new draft is quite different from the original proposal that caused a lot of controversy in Kyiv. Both sides will now take the draft back to their presidents. The US will then reach out to Russia to keep the talks going. Only the copies given to the heads of the delegations left the room. All other copies were taken back at the end of the meeting. The talks were led by top officials from both sides. The Ukrainian team included the president's chief of staff and the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. The US team had some big names, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Jared Kushner. The Americans were open to the Ukrainians' suggestions. Almost everything the Ukrainians proposed was accepted. The talks started off tense, but things got better after a few hours of discussion. The US side seemed willing to remove a proposal to limit Ukraine's army size. They also agreed to rework a proposal for a blanket amnesty for war crimes. The Ukrainians were happy with the progress made. European allies also joined the talks later in the day. The Ukrainians had already discussed their positions with these allies before the main talks. The US team was praised for their constructive approach. There's talk about Trump hosting Zelenskyy in Washington this week. But some in Zelenskyy's circle think he should stay in Kyiv to avoid any setbacks. It's not clear if Trump will ask Zelenskyy to sign the draft plan. The US now needs to figure out how to present the draft to Russia. The Kremlin says they haven't seen or been briefed on the draft yet. The Ukrainians are ready to keep working towards a fair end to the war. The Geneva meeting was a big deal. It showed that the US and Ukraine can work together effectively. But everyone involved knows they need to stay focused and responsible. The issues are complex, and hype won't help solve them.