Marco Rubio said he is “very optimistic” with progress being made in a draft US plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The US Secretary of State said the US had made good progress in addressing unresolved questions as he met with a Ukrainian delegation in Geneva.
Mr Rubio said work remained to be done on questions including the role of Nato and security guarantees for Ukraine.
However, he told a press conference his team had narrowed down unresolved issues in a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine championed by President Donald Trump.
Earlier, President Trump said Ukraine had not been grateful for American efforts over the war, prompting Ukrainian officials to stress their gratitude to the White House for US support.
European officials joined the US and Ukrainian delegations for talks late on Sunday after crafting a modified version of the US plan for Ukraine that pushes back on proposed limits to Kyiv’s armed forces and mooted territorial concessions.
The European plan proposes that Ukraine be granted a larger military than under the US plan and that talks on land swaps should start from the front line rather than a pre-determined view of which areas should be considered Russian.
On Friday, President Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had until Thursday to approve the plan, which calls on Ukraine to cede territory, accept limits on its military and renounce ambitions to join Nato.
Marco Rubio said he is ‘very optimistic’ over the deal
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For many Ukrainians, including soldiers fighting on the front lines, such terms would amount to capitulation after nearly four years of fighting in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.
On Saturday, President Trump said the current proposal for ending the war is not his final offer.
Mr Rubio said the United States still needed time to address the pending issues. He hoped a deal could be reached by Thursday but suggested that it could also take longer.
US and Ukrainian officials were discussing the possibility of President Zelensky travelling to the United States, maybe as early as this week, to discuss the peace plan with President Trump, two sources familiar with matter said on Sunday.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE
Andriy Yermak and Marco Rubio held talks in Geneva today
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The main talks between US and Ukrainian officials got under way amid a tense backdrop, soon after President Trump complained in a Truth Social post that Ukraine’s leadership had shown “zero gratitude” to the US for its efforts and Europe continued to buy Russian oil.
Mr Rubio interrupted the meeting to speak to reporters, saying the talks had been probably the best the US had held with Ukraine since President Trump returned to power.
He said changes would be made to the plan to work towards a solution that both Ukraine and the US could support.
“Obviously this will ultimately have to be signed off with our presidents, although I feel very comfortable about that happening given the progress we’ve made,” said Mr Rubio.
The scene outside the Mission of the United States in Geneva ahead of today’s talks
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Head of the Ukrainian delegation Andriy Yermak was at pains to thank Trump for his commitment to Kyiv during the brief interlude. Minutes later, Zelensky also thanked Trump.
Mr Yermak did not reappear with Mr Rubio when the talks ended.
Since the US plan was announced, there has been confusion about who was involved in drawing it up. European allies said they had not been consulted.
Before heading to Geneva, Mr Rubio insisted on social media that Washington had authored the plan after remarks from some US senators suggesting otherwise.
Senator Angus King said Mr Rubio had told senators the plan was not the administration’s position, but “essentially the wish-list of the Russians.”
The scene after a Russian drone attack on Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine
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The draft US plan, which includes many of Russia’s key demands and offers only vague assurances to Ukraine of “robust security guarantees”, comes at a perilous moment for Kyiv.
Russia has been making gains on parts of the front, albeit slowly and, according to Western and Ukrainian officials, the advances have been extremely costly in terms of lives lost.
The transportation hub of Pokrovsk has been partially taken by Russian forces and Ukrainian commanders say they do not have enough soldiers to prevent small, persistent incursions.
Ukraine’s power and gas facilities have been pummelled by drone and missile attacks, meaning millions of people are without water, heating and power for hours each day.
President Zelensky himself has been under pressure domestically after a major corruption scandal broke, ensnaring some of his ministers and people in his close entourage. He has warned that Ukraine risked losing its dignity and freedom, or Washington’s backing, over the US plan.
