Editor’s note: The article was updated with additional details.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials are discussing the possibility of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the U.S., Reuters and CBS News reported on Nov. 23, citing their undisclosed sources.
The trip could take place as early as this week and would focus on President Donald Trump’s push to get Ukraine’s agreement on the U.S.'s peace proposal, according to the reporting.
The news comes as Ukraine and the U.S. continue to debate details of the 28-point peace plan backed by the Trump administration, which faced criticism over conditions seen as heavily favorable to Russia.
The U.S. and Ukrainian delegations, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and top Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, respectively, met in Geneva to discuss the details of the proposal.
The two sides hailed the initial consultations as “productive” and said they continue work on an “updated and refined peace framework,” without providing details.
Zelensky’s possible visit will depend on the outcomes of the Geneva talks, CBS News reported. An undisclosed source told Reuters that Zelensky could meet Trump to discuss the most sensitive issues of the plan, such as territory.
The Kyiv Independent has reached out to the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington and to Ukraine’s Presidential Office for comment.
Zelensky said on Nov. 24 that Ukraine is coordinating steps with the U.S. and other partners and trying to include some of the most sensitive issues in the final plan, such as an “all-for-all” exchange of captives and the release of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Speaking in a video address to the Fourth Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform in Stockholm, Zelensky thanked European partners for their assistance and asked them for continued support during negotiations.
The U.K., Germany, and France, Ukraine’s leading European partners, reportedly pitched their own counterproposal, pushing back against some of the most demanding conditions imposed on Kyiv in the initial plan.
“Borders cannot be changed by force. Criminals must not remain unpunished. They must answer for the war they started,” the president said.
Zelensky also noted that there has been a “lot of noise in the media” and “political pressure” in connection with the peace plan.
The initial peace plan was met with backlash from European partners and U.S. lawmakers over the broad concessions it demanded of Ukraine, including surrendering the entire Donbas region to Russia, reducing its military to 600,000 troops, and relinquishing NATO aspirations.
While Trump initially said he expects Ukraine to sign off on the plan by Thanksgiving, or Nov. 27, Rubio later signaled the deadline could be extended and that the document is still subject to change as peace talks continue.
Trump, who on Nov. 23 lambasted Ukraine over its supposed lack of gratitude for U.S. peace efforts, softened his rhetoric the following day and hinted at progress in negotiations.
“Is it really possible that big progress is being made in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “Don’t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening.”
An undisclosed U.S. official told the Washington Post that Trump has not been heavily involved in the details of the original plan, and that “even different parts of the White House don’t know what’s going on.”
Read also: Ukraine, US draft updated peace plan during ‘productive’ Geneva talks
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