Ukrainian, American and European officials were expected to meet in Switzerland on Sunday as part of President Trump’s push to get Kyiv to accept a peace plan to end its war with Russia.
Mr. Trump has set a deadline of Thursday for Ukraine to agree to the 28-point peace plan that was drafted without input from Kyiv or its European allies. The proposal contains many conditions that Ukraine has long rejected as nonstarters, including surrendering territory, slashing the size of its army and giving up some types of weaponry.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine sent a delegation led by Andriy Yermak, his chief of staff, to Geneva for the talks, which he said would also feature consultations with British, French and German officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s special envoy, will lead the American negotiating team, according to a U.S. official. They are expected to join Daniel Driscoll, the Army secretary, who arrived there on Saturday. Plans for separate talks between the United States and Russia are underway, the U.S. official said.
“Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and exactly what must be done to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion, another strike against Ukraine — just as it has repeatedly committed crimes against our people and against other nations in the past,” Mr. Zelensky said in an overnight address.
“Right now, this is about much more than any points in any document,” he added.
Ukraine’s European allies, including the leaders of Britain, France and Germany, said in a joint statement on Saturday that the U.S. proposal was a starting point and called for “additional work.” They urged changes to the plan’s most objectionable points for Ukraine — including the proposal’s requirement that Kyiv’s military be capped.
While Mr. Trump has said he wants Ukraine’s response to the proposal by Thursday, he left open the possibility that the deadline could be extended “if things are working well.”
Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt and Lara Jakes contributed reporting.
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