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US secretary of state Marco Rubio called Geneva’s Sunday Ukraine peace talks the most productive day they have had in the past 10 months, “I would say, probably best meeting and day we’ve had so far in this entire process,” however no agreement has yet been reached and very few details were released.
The talks focused on a US peace plan that many European allies fear is too soft on Moscow.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Geneva meetings “very worthwhile” and the most productive day in “a very long time”. “I feel very optimistic that we can get something done,” he said, though he offered little information about the discussions. He noted that talks would continue into Monday and possibly later in the week, and suggested Europe’s role in the plan might be handled separately from issues involving Russia and Ukraine.
Rubio stressed that any final proposal would still need to be presented to Moscow: “obviously, the Russians get a vote here.”
Following the meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the growing international support behind current peace efforts. In a message on X, he said, “Everyone is offering support, giving advice, providing information, and I am grateful to each and every person who is giving this help to us, to Ukraine,”. Zelenskyy said diplomacy “has been reinvigorated” and “this is good”, calling this renewed engagement a positive development.
His upbeat tone contrasted with Trump, who earlier in the day criticised Ukraine in a post on social media TRUTH for showing “zero gratitude” for US support before the talks even began. Trump has set a Thursday deadline for Ukraine’s response, though he has hinted it could shift. Rubio downplayed the date, saying only that all sides want the fighting to end quickly.
The plan has faced criticism in the US and Europe for appearing too favourable to Moscow. Concerns increased after senators said Rubio told them the proposal originated with Russia and resembled a Kremlin “wish list” rather than a credible peace plan.
Video editor • Lucy Davalou
