Talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials are underway in Geneva over a recently leaked peace proposal that many in Kyiv say heavily favors Russia. President Trump has characterized the draft as not final, but Ukrainians and some European leaders view the plan as a severe setback.
The draft, confirmed by the Trump administration after the leak, was reportedly drawn up by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff together with Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian businessman and adviser to President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian officials say the plan was produced without their involvement and resembles terms the Kremlin might have written.
Under the proposal, Ukraine would cede control of parts of the Donbas region it now holds — territory that is strategically important and heavily fortified. It would also face limits on its military, reductions in its weapons arsenal, and a formal renunciation of any future NATO membership. The plan offers limited or no punishment for Russia: sanctions would be lifted, Russia would be welcomed back into international institutions, and the draft includes a joint Russian-American Arctic exploration agreement, opening potential business opportunities for firms involved in rare earths and other resources.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, already weakened politically by allegations of corruption involving senior ministers in his government, called the moment one of the most difficult in Ukraine’s history. The scandal has sapped some of the moral authority that helped him rally international support, and it has begun to fracture a society that had largely remained united behind him.
On the ground, outrage and grief are mounting. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley reports from Ternopil in western Ukraine, where a recent Russian missile strike hit a residential building, killing more than 30 people, including children. Survivors described hours of explosions and panic as families sheltered in basements. Kateryna Rushkov, a 39-year-old mother, said the losses make the draft deal feel like a total capitulation. Gym instructor Inga Shkarupa voiced broader anger: “People are dying every second, every minute… It feels like Russia is a victim, not us,” she said, urging Zelenskyy not to sign the accord.
European leaders, who say they were also not consulted on the draft, are alarmed. They view Ukraine as a frontline state whose security helps protect Europe, and there is concern that the plan would undercut that role. Still, many European officials are cautious in their public comments, reluctant to confront the U.S. administration directly.
President Trump set a deadline, giving Zelenskyy until Thursday to respond and saying, if Ukraine refuses the deal, “then he can continue to fight his little heart out.” How Zelenskyy will respond remains uncertain as Ukraine weighs the territorial, political, and human costs of any agreement that critics say would reward Russian aggression.