laura gojiand
patrick jackson
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has welcomed proposed changes to the country’s controversial 28-point peace plan to end the war with Russia.
Ukraine’s European allies appear to have drawn up a modified version of the plan after rejecting parts that favored Russia’s war goals.
“We can now implement the list of measures necessary to end the war,” Zelenskyy said via Telegram. “This framework incorporates many of the right elements.”
Later, in the early hours of Tuesday, Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said Russian missile and drone attacks hit apartment buildings in the capital and knocked out electricity and water supplies.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy also confirmed “large-scale coordinated attacks” on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure facilities.
“Energy officials will assess the results and begin recovery operations as soon as the security situation allows,” the statement said.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva on Sunday to discuss a plan drafted by U.S. and Russian officials in October, which has raised consternation among Kiev and its European allies.
Russian representatives did not attend the Swiss meeting.
Kremlin officials rejected the amendment on Monday, calling it “completely unconstructive.”
In another development, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt insisted the Trump administration was not favoring Russia in its efforts to end the war.
“The idea that the United States is not engaging equally with both sides to end the war is a complete and utter fallacy,” she told reporters.
President Donald Trump was “hopeful and optimistic” that a plan could be developed to end the war, Levitt added.
After the Geneva meeting, President Trump said on social media that “good things can happen,” but added, “Don’t believe it until you see it for yourself.”
The talks in Geneva began with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denying that the 28-point plan championed by Trump was drawn up by the Kremlin. Part of the reason is that it seemed largely tailored to Moscow’s long-standing demands.
Zelensky said Monday evening that the revised plan is “really the right approach.”
He added, “I will discuss sensitive issues, the most sensitive matters, with President Trump.”
The 28-point plan leaked on Friday no longer exists, according to an official in Zelensky’s office.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kislytsa, who attended the weekend talks in Geneva, told the Financial Times that the latest plan consisted of just 19 items, including some of the most politically sensitive elements, including territorial concessions, and that current leaders would decide directly.
A virtual “coalition of the willing” meeting of Ukraine’s European allies will be held on Tuesday to discuss developments, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced.
He said there was still work to be done in Ukraine to achieve a “just and lasting peace.”
In Moscow, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters: “The European plan, as it appears at first glance…is not entirely constructive and does not work for us.”
Prime Minister Zelenskyy said Monday morning that Putin’s demand for legal recognition of territory occupied by Russia was “the biggest problem.”
President Trump’s comments that Ukraine risked losing U.S. support if it did not accept the deal by Nov. 27 created a sense of urgency across Europe on Friday and led to a hastily called meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. officials.
The counterproposal, reportedly drafted by Britain, France and Germany, would rule out recognition of Russian-occupied areas, increase Ukraine’s permitted military size and leave the door open for Ukraine to join NATO.
Russia has consistently called for Ukraine’s complete withdrawal from the entire eastern Donbass, which consists of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. It also controls large parts of the Crimea and two other regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago, tens of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians have been killed or injured and millions more have fled their homes.
