EU to join Geneva talks on Ukraine, will push Trump team, says Politico

According to a source for the publication, the EU and the United Kingdom will take part in high-level discussions on US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Ukraine, which begin today.

It is noted that this marks a significant breakthrough for Brussels and London, which until now had been excluded from the process.

Senior security officials from France and Germany will also join the talks.

Politico emphasized that "Ukraine's allies seek to re-write Trump's proposal which they fear would favor Russia."

"The fact that the Europeans will get seats at the negotiating table will be welcomed in Kyiv, Brussels and beyond, after Ukraine’s allies voiced their concern at being excluded from Trump’s most recent initiative," the publication writes.

The talks will take place at the level of national security advisers. The EU will be represented by Ursula von der Leyen’s right-hand man, Bjorn Seibert, and the chief aide to the European Council president, Antonio Costa Pedro Lourtie.

Among other things, the Europeans are expected to push the Trump team to soften its proposal to transfer parts of the Donbas to Russia.

Instead, they want any ceasefire to be based on freezing the conflict along the current "contact line," but only as a starting point for negotiations, not a final settlement.

Geneva talks

Recall that US and Russian officials developed a peace plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine, which was approved by President Donald Trump.

The plan consists of 28 points and includes, among other measures, transferring parts of the Donbas to Russia in exchange for long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and the EU, reducing the size of the Ukrainian army, renouncing long-range weapons, and more.

The plan sparked outrage in Europe and Ukraine, prompting the urgent preparation of an alternative proposal.

Representatives from the US, the EU trio, and Ukraine have scheduled a meeting in Geneva in the coming days to discuss the US peace plan. President Zelenskyy has pledged that Ukraine will defend its interests in Switzerland.

The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Andriy Yermak, head of the President’s Office.

Also attending the Geneva talks on the US peace plan will be US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and his team, as well as the US special representative Steve Witkoff, who co-developed the document with Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev.

It is also reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be present at the meeting in Geneva.