The U.S. administration’s new framework, which was issued with a tight Thanksgiving deadline and threats to cut off aid and intelligence to Ukraine unless accepted, surprised Ukraine and its European allies. This led to urgent weekend negotiations in Geneva involving Washington, Kyiv, and European partners.
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the plan with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and according to the Kremlin, Putin expressed that Trump’s initial proposal served as a “good base for the future deal.”
The Kremlin’s readout of the call stated, “Vladimir Putin noted that these proposals, in the version we have seen, are in line with the discussions at the Russian-American summit in Alaska and, in principle, can be the basis of a final peaceful settlement.”
The two sides have vastly different endgame goals, which largely conflict. Moscow wants a settlement that maintains and expands its territorial gains, while Kyiv and European capitals focus on securing Ukraine’s sovereignty.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the discussions in Switzerland as substantial progress, although he acknowledged there is “still some work to be done” before a proposal can be finalized.
Despite criticizing Kyiv on Sunday for showing “zero gratitude,” Trump maintained a positive outlook about the talks in Switzerland. He posted on social media Monday that “something good just may be happening.”
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