The road to peace reopens in Geneva: between Trump's plan, Europe's counterproposal, and Kiev's demands.

It's a Sunday of feverish negotiations in Geneva. In the corridors of the Intercontinental Hotel, amidst crisscrossing delegations and closed doors behind confidential meetings, representatives of the United States, Ukraine, and the European Union are trying to transform months of diplomatic tension into a first, concrete step toward a possible peace. The atmosphere is different than usual: not only caution, but a thread of optimism shines through the faces and words of the protagonists.

Confirmation came in the evening, when Washington and Kiev released a joint statement with an unusually positive tone. The talks were described as "constructive, focused, respectful, and highly productive." Even more significant was the announcement that the delegations had "drafted an updated and refined peace framework," acknowledging "significant progress in aligning positions." This change of pace is surprising, considering that while diplomats negotiate, the war on the ground continues unabated: a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv caused further deaths and injuries.

Yet something, in the Swiss chambers, seems to have truly moved. The United States is openly speaking of its desire to conclude the agreement "as soon as possible," ideally by Thursday, the symbolic deadline initially indicated by Donald Trump. Kiev has let it be known that the updated draft "reflects our national interests." Europe—which until a few weeks ago feared it had been left out of the major negotiations—has re-entered the fray with a detailed counterproposal, capable of correcting the most controversial points of Trump's plan and restoring Ukrainian sovereignty to the forefront.

It's a delicate balance, but for the first time in a long time no one considers it impossible.

The Trump Plan: 28 Points That Divide

To understand what is happening in Geneva we must start from 28-point plan drafted by Donald Trump, a document that has agitated Kiev and left many European governments extremely perplexed.

The plan stems from a simple logic: stop hostilities and "freeze" the conflict, redrawing part of the front in favor of Russia in exchange for American guarantees on Ukrainian security. But the costs for Kiev would have been very high, as it would have had to accept the transfer of territories in Donbass to Russia, with implicit recognition of Russian control over Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk; definitive renunciation of NATO, with Ukraine forced to declare itself neutral and the reduction of the army to 600.000 men, considered insufficient by Kiev to defend itself from a nuclear power.

The only point that would have been really favorable to Kiev would have been the use of the Russian assets frozen to finance the reconstruction.

It is not surprising that the American draft has caused unease in Europe and irritation in Kiev: rather than peace, many see it as a partial surrender, built on the logic of "something is better than nothing."

The European counter-proposal: 24 points to put Kiev back at the center

Precisely for this reason, Europe has decided to intervene, reformulating the American text point by point. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – with the support of the EU institutions and NATO – have developed a 24-point counterproposal which radically changes the original system.

The heart of the European proposal is simple: no solution can be built by sacrificing Ukrainian sovereignty.

The cornerstones of the EU draft

No automatic territorial transfer: Ukrainian sovereignty is reaffirmed, and any discussion on borders can only take place after a complete ceasefireAmong the 24 points we find:

Binding security guarantees for Kiev, similar to theArticle 5 of NATO: if Russia attacks, the allies intervene.

No obligation of neutrality: the issue of membership in the NATO remains open, subject to internal consensus within the Alliance.

The Ukrainian army could rise to 800.000 unit, rejecting the limitations proposed by Washington.

Ukraine would be confirmed on the path to enter the European Union.

- Russian assets frozen They would remain so until Russia compensates for the damage caused.

Sanctions could be eased only in case of full compliance with the agreement, and automatically reintroduced in case of violation.

Also expected repatriation of deported children, the “all for all” exchange of prisoners and the release of detained civilians.

In essence, this is a plan much closer to Ukrainian positions and international law.

The decisive hours in Geneva: "the best meeting yet"

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, head of the American delegation, described these meetings as "among the most productive and meaningful yet." Alongside him, Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, confirmed that the new draft "already reflects most of Ukraine's priorities."

In the joint statement, the US and Ukraine emphasize: significant progress in aligning positions; a picture of peace "updated and improved”; the need for every agreement fully respect the sovereignty of Ukraine and the commitment to continue "intense work" in the coming days.

The Ukrainian delegation also expressed gratitude to the United States “and personally to President Donald J. Trump,” underlining their “tireless efforts” to end the war.

Confirming the current news, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul speaks openly of “decisive success for the Europeans”, stating that “no issue concerning Europe and NATO can be decided above our heads.”

A diplomatic mosaic in motion: Meloni, Erdogan, and EU leaders

The process isn't just American-Ukrainian-European. A network of parallel consultations is swirling around the Geneva negotiations.

Giorgia Meloni, from the G20 in Johannesburg, tells of a long phone call with Trump together with Finnish President Stubb, stating that he found the US president "available".

Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces a new phone call with Putin to promote the peace process.

A LuandaOn the sidelines of the EU-African Union summit, EU heads of state and government are meeting to coordinate the European position.

The group of “Willing”, which militarily supports Kiev, continues to meet to support the negotiations and ensure that the future peace does not compromise European security.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, summarizes the Union's position thus: "Ukraine has chosen a European destiny. This freedom must be respected."

The war, however, continues

While we talk about peace, the bombs continue to fall.

In the last few hours, in fact, there have been new attacks on Kiev and a Russian attack with drones on Kharkiv, which caused four dead and at least 17 injured.

Diplomacy inevitably treads a fine line: negotiating while the war rages means balancing realism and urgency, without losing sight of the fact that every day adds to the cost of lives and destruction.

A first glimmer of hope, but not yet peace

Since yesterday, the negotiations have entered a real, concrete phase, consisting of rewritten texts, refined points, allies listened to again, and redefined priorities.

For the first time in weeks, the United States, Ukraine and Europe are speaking the same language: that of sovereignty, security and the need for peace. right.

And the final signature – as everyone has reiterated – will be up to only two people: Donald Trump and Volodymyr ZelenskyIt will be up to them to decide whether this draft becomes reality or remains yet another missed opportunity.

In Geneva, for now, however, a glimmer of hope has appeared.