US, Ukraine Report Major Progress On Peace Plan.

National security advisors from Germany, France, and the UK also joined these high-stakes discussions. Andriy Yermak, leading Kyiv's negotiation team, appeared visibly grim during the brief moment I saw him.

It's no surprise, really; the initial proposal was so heavily biased towards Russia's demands that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to start the talks by denying the Kremlin had drafted it! However, Donald Trump had made it clear that Ukraine needed to sign swiftly or face undisclosed repercussions, leaving Kyiv with no choice but to participate.

By Sunday night, Marco Rubio announced "tremendous progress" in the negotiations, with only "a couple of things" remaining unresolved. When pushed for details, he remained vague, describing the situation as "delicate." Interestingly, a joint Ukraine-U.S. statement now indicates a completely new agreement, referred to as an "updated and revised framework document," is on the table. While we haven't seen this new document, the Financial Times quotes Ukraine's deputy foreign minister, Sergiy Kyslytsya, who described a fresh 19-point plan that bears "very little left" from the initial draft.

This updated document likely includes at least some of the European-proposed amendments, reported by Reuters, which appear much more acceptable to Kyiv. Crucially, this version reportedly removes the automatic veto on Ukraine's future NATO membership and lifts the cap on the country's armed forces troop numbers. Although it states no Western troops would be permanently deployed in Ukraine, this isn't an outright prohibition. Regarding the highly sensitive issue of territory—land Ukrainian soldiers have bravely fought and died for over eleven years—there would be no free handover of the remaining Donbas region to Russia. Instead, Ukraine would pursue the recovery of occupied areas through purely diplomatic channels, a position President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously endorsed. Also, the controversial full amnesty for war crimes has been removed.

Most importantly, the document now includes references to crucial security guarantees. Various officials, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have discussed Ukraine receiving Article 5-style protection, which would legally obligate the U.S. to defend it should Russia invade again. Ukraine has consistently stated this is a non-negotiable, fundamental point. While the exact number of European ideas incorporated into the new proposal remains unknown, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has positively described the deal as "significantly modified."

So, how did the talks shift from a pro-Russian proposal to this new version in just one day? It's tough to pinpoint, especially with figures like President Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, a known hawk, present in the room. The initial Kremlin-friendly plan reportedly stemmed from Witkoff's spring visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin, after which he seemed to echo Russia's controversial talking points almost word-for-word. This updated plan, however, seems far more plausible for Ukraine to eventually accept. This likely explains why Trump, who was recently scolding Kyiv officials for their supposed "zero gratitude," is now hinting that "something good" might be on the horizon.

But how genuinely good is it? There's still no indication that Russia is prepared to halt hostilities unless compelled. Tatiana Stanovaya from the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center observes that "Putin is much more self-confident militarily, right now." She attributes this to Kyiv's current corruption scandal and political crisis, challenges in soldier mobilization, and Russia's military gains on the ground—all factors influencing Putin's strategy. At best, some analysts suggest Trump's insistence on a deal has injected fresh energy into the peace efforts, something Ukrainians, enduring constant bombardment, desperately long for. Yet, it's hard to shake the feeling that despite days of intense diplomatic activity, we might have simply returned to square one. As Stanovaya summarizes Russia's stance: "'We've laid out our demands; do you accept them or not? If so, we'll cease fire. If not, we'll just wait until you're ready.'"