U.S. pressures Zelensky as talks set to take place in Switzerland
The United States has continued to pressure Kyiv to accept former President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war, while a senior Ukrainian official announced that Ukraine will hold consultations in Switzerland with the U.S. side.
The British newspaper The Guardian reported that U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll told NATO ambassadors in Kyiv that “there is no perfect deal, but it must be concluded sooner rather than later.”
Sources cited by the newspaper said Washington informed NATO countries that Zelensky could face a worse deal if he does not sign the proposed peace agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Trump’s 28-point plan on Friday, stating that he would attempt to present alternative proposals to Washington, while both the U.S. President and Russian President Vladimir Putin encouraged him to accept the plan.
The American site Politico reported that European officials expressed frustration with certain details of the U.S. plan, warning that it could undermine efforts to help Ukraine survive the war, which has lasted nearly four years.
The plan proposes that Ukraine cede the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east to Russia, which would then return to the Group of Eight (G8) major economies, according to the proposal.
Rustem Amrov, head of Ukraine’s National Security Council, announced that Kyiv will hold talks with the United States in Switzerland to discuss the plan for ending the war.
Amrov said on Facebook on Saturday, “We will launch consultations in Switzerland between senior Ukrainian and U.S. officials regarding potential criteria for a future peace agreement.”
He added that “Ukraine is entering this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This is a new stage of ongoing dialogue, aimed primarily at aligning our vision on next steps.”
A U.S. official told Reuters that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in the talks scheduled to begin on Sunday in Geneva. The official clarified that Russia will not participate in the Geneva talks, “but the United States plans to hold meetings with the Russians very soon.”
On Saturday, President Zelensky signed a decree forming the Ukrainian delegation for “negotiations with the United States and other international partners, as well as with Russian representatives.”
According to the decree, the delegation will be led by Zelensky’s chief aide, Andriy Yermak, and will include Amrov, heads of security and intelligence agencies, and the Chief of Staff, giving the delegation a primarily military composition.
