Ukraine working with US on compromises in peace plan, Zelensky confirms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that Kiev was continuing to work with partners, including the United States, to find a viable peace plan.

"We all continue to work with our partners, especially the United States, to seek compromises that together will strengthen us, not weaken us," Zelensky said via video link from a summit of Ukraine's allies in Sweden.

A great opportunity

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó sees the original 28-point US peace plan as a great opportunity.

However, Swedish Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard stresses that Ukraine cannot change its borders under pressure of force and its military must not face restrictions that would "invite Russia to continue its aggression".

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Monday that the talks held in Geneva with the United States on Ukraine were "constructive and useful". "Work continues to create the conditions for a peace that respects Ukraine's sovereignty and guarantees Europe's interests and security," Barrot wrote on the social network X.

The French minister added that he had discussed the negotiations with his European counterparts as well as with Ukraine's foreign minister.

Support for Ukraine will continue

European Council President António Costa pledged on Monday that the European Union will continue to support Ukraine, praising a “new momentum” in the peace negotiations.

“The European Union is determined to provide President Zelenskiy with all the support he needs – diplomatic, military, and economic,” he told reporters.

He added that this concerns especially financial support for Ukraine, recalling that EU leaders agreed last month to cover Ukraine’s financial needs for the next two years.

“We have committed to deliver… and we will deliver at the December European Council,” Costa said.

Moscow is waiting for official information

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia had not received any official information on the results of the Geneva talks.

"Of course, we are closely following the media reports that have been coming out of Geneva in recent days, but so far we have not received anything official," Peskov told reporters. "We have read a statement saying that after the discussions in Geneva, they have incorporated certain modifications into the text that we have already seen. We will wait. It seems that the dialogue is continuing," he added.

Asked about an alleged change in the item on NATO and Ukraine that would apparently leave the door open for Kiev to join the US military alliance in the future, Peskov said the Kremlin would not discuss the details of any draft agreement based on media reports.

"This is too important and complex an issue to be guided solely by media reports. In this case, one should rely on information obtained through official channels," Peskov said.

He added that no talks between Russian and U.S. negotiators are scheduled for this week.

(reuters, sie, lud)