Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared to soften his tone toward Washington on Sunday, responding with a markedly conciliatory message just hours after US President Donald Trump publicly accused Kyiv of displaying “zero gratitude” for the United States’ efforts to broker a peace deal.
The public exchange played out online as top US and Ukrainian officials were huddled in Geneva for sensitive, high-stakes negotiations aimed at refining the US-drafted proposal to end the nearly four-year war with Russia.
The Public Show of Appreciation
The tension began when President Trump, whose approach to Ukraine has been described as sharply oscillating since the start of his second term, used his Truth Social account to launch a public critique:
“UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS,”
Trump’s post referred to his 28-point peace blueprint, which drew immediate criticism for incorporating several of Moscow’s long-standing demands.
Zelenskyy quickly responded on X with a post designed to mend the relationship: “Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart, and personally to President Trump for the assistance that — starting with the Javelins — has been saving Ukrainian lives.”
Geneva Talks Yield ‘Productive’ Progress
While the public exchange was underway, negotiators from both countries met in Geneva to discuss the viability of the proposal, which Trump has set a soft deadline of November 27 (Thanksgiving Day in the US) for Ukraine to decide on.
- US Assessment: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the opening session as “probably the most productive and meaningful meeting” since the Trump administration took office. He told reporters that both delegations would reconvene for a second round later Sunday.
- Rubio expressed confidence in the outcome, saying, “This will ultimately have to be signed off by our presidents, although I feel very comfortable about that happening given the progress we’ve made.” He emphasized, however, that any final peace plan would ultimately require Russia’s approval.
- Rubio’s delegation included Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.
- Ukrainian Optimism: Ukraine’s security council secretary and lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, reported significant movement in their favour. He confirmed that the discussions led to an “updated and refined peace framework” that already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities.
- Umerov stated: “The current version of the document, although still in the final stages of approval, already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities.”
The Controversial Original Blueprint
The initial 28-point US blueprint had raised considerable concern in Kyiv and across Europe due to its seemingly pro-Russian terms. Key contentious points reportedly included requiring Ukraine to:
- Cede territory to Russia (including de facto recognition of Crimea and parts of Donbas).
- Reduce the size of its military.
- Pledge not to join NATO.
The original draft also included proposed features such as broad security guarantees for Ukraine and the use of frozen Russian assets for the country’s reconstruction. Despite the initial backlash, both the US and Ukraine are now signalling a path toward a mutually acceptable version of the plan, with Trump hinting the Thanksgiving deadline could be stretched if constructive progress continues.