US says Russia-Ukraine peace draft made with Moscow’s ‘input’
As Rubio heads to Geneva, he says Russia and Ukraine may have offered input, but the pen remains firmly in US hands
The contours of a long-sought Russia–Ukraine peace blueprint have emerged, shaped in Washington yet carrying faint imprints from Moscow and the earlier murmured proposals of Kyiv, US secretary of state Marco Rubio revealed.
As Rubio departed for Geneva — the neutral stage chosen for the next act of delicate diplomacy — he emphasised that although Russia and Ukraine had whispered their suggestions, the pen belonged wholly to the United States.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott echoed this sentiment, writing on X that the plan was “authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians,” a reminder of Washington’s central hand in a war whose consequences ripple far beyond the front lines.
Yet, even as the blueprint moved toward the negotiating table, President Donald Trump made it clear that this was not his “final offer.” Standing outside the White House, he dismissed any notion of rigidity, remarking that if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejects the deal, he may “fight his little heart out.” He insisted that peace must come soon — one way or another — and repeated his familiar claim that the conflict would never have ignited had he been in office in early 2022.
The proposal has stirred unease within Ukraine’s circle of Western allies, many of whom believe the current draft bends too generously toward Moscow. With Washington setting a deadline of 27 November for Kyiv’s response, the pressure on Zelenskyy has grown almost suffocating.
In a somber, soul-baring national address, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine is enduring “one of the most difficult moments in our history.” The nation, he said, might be approaching a crucible — a choice between “losing dignity” or “risking the loss of a key partner.” Yet he vowed to safeguard “the dignity and freedom of Ukrainians,” promising that Kyiv would continue to engage with Washington in good faith.
On Saturday, in a decisive gesture, Zelenskyy appointed his powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, to lead the country’s negotiating team. The message was unmistakable: Ukraine intends to defend its national interests with grit, clarity and vigilance, and will ensure that any peace arrangement prevents the shadow of future Russian aggression from ever darkening its borders again.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, president Vladimir Putin — with characteristic caution — described the US draft as a potential “basis” for a future settlement, a phrase that hints at possibility while leaving the path ahead shrouded in ambiguity.
As Geneva awaits its diplomats and the world holds its breath, the fragile manuscript of peace lies open — its ink still fresh, its fate still uncertain.
With IANS inputs