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Venezuela on Monday rejected a US terrorist designation of an alleged drug cartel as a “ridiculous lie” amid a major American military buildup in Caribbean waters.”Venezuela categorically, firmly, and absolutely rejects the new and ridiculous lie from the Secretary of the Department of State, Marco Rubio, who designates the alleged Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization… to justify an illegitimate and illegal intervention against Venezuela,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.Washington’s listing of the “Cartel de los Soles” (Cartel of the Suns) as a foreign terrorist organization officially took effect on Monday, opening the door to new forms of US pressure on leftist President Nicolas Maduro. US President Donald Trump’s administration alleges that the shadowy group is run by Maduro. No evidence has been made public to support the accusation of Maduro’s involvement in the group.The designation is part of a US campaign against drugs and illegal immigration from Latin America. The US has deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier and other military forces in Caribbean waters as part of the Trump administration’s anti-drugs campaign, but officials in Caracas suspect that the United States is mounting an operation to topple Maduro, Venezuela’s leftist leader.US forces have killed at least 83 people in air strikes on boats accused of ferrying drugs in international waters since September, according to an AFP tally of publicly released figures. But no evidence has been made public that drugs were in the boats.  However, with a major military presence now deployed in the Caribbean, including an aircraft carrier, the FTO designation will give legal cover for more pressure on the Venezuelan authorities.The Cartel of the Suns is responsible for “terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere,” Rubio said on November 16.The Trump administration has been vague about how far it is willing to go in Venezuela, but the huge military build-up and regular killings of people in small boats have rattled nerves — and prompted concerns in Washington that the US military may be breaking the law.On Saturday, six airlines announced they were canceling flights to Venezuela due to safety concerns.The US Federal Aviation Administration on Friday urged civilian aircraft in Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.”

Pope Leo XIV embarks on his debut overseas trip Thursday, travelling to Turkey and Lebanon to promote Christian unity and urge peace efforts amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.The six-day trip is the first major international test for the US pope, who was elected head of the Catholic Church in May and whose understated style contrasts with that of his charismatic and impulsive predecessor, Francis.In Turkey, Leo will celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the Creed — a foundational declaration of the Christian faith — was written.While the Chicago-born pontiff’s upcoming visit has so far garnered little attention in the predominantly Muslim country, where Christians represent only 0.2 percent of the 86 million inhabitants, it is eagerly awaited in Lebanon.Lebanon has long been held up as a model of religious coexistence.But since 2019, it has been ravaged by crises, including economic collapse which has caused widespread poverty, a devastating blast at Beirut port in 2020, and the recent war with Israel.”The Lebanese are tired,” said Vincent Gelot, director of the Lebanon and Syria office for l’Oeuvre d’Orient, a Catholic organisation that supports Christians in the Middle East.”They expect a frank word to the Lebanese elite, as well as strong and concrete actions,” he told AFP.- ‘A vicious cycle’ -Preparations are in full swing at the sites the pope will visit, with signs bearing his image and reading “Lebanon wants peace” hung along newly-restored roads.Lebanon’s ambassador to the Holy See, Fadi Assaf, said it was an “exceptional” visit which would “highlight the difficulties facing Lebanon”, which is hoping for a “political and economic breakthrough”.Gelot said the Lebanese are caught in “a vicious cycle of wars and suffering”, “dashed hopes” and “uncertainty about the future”, and they “know full well that (this visit) will not solve all their problems”.It is an opportunity however to highlight the role of private, often religious, organisations in ensuring access to healthcare and education — like the psychiatric hospital run by Franciscan nuns that Leo is set to visit, he said.Trip highlights include a meeting with the country’s youth, an open-air mass expected to draw 100,000 people, and a prayer at the site of the port explosion that killed over 220 people and caused vast damage to the Lebanese capital.Abdo Abou Kassem, the church’s media coordinator for the visit, said the pope also wishes to “reaffirm Lebanon’s role as… a model for both East and West” through an interreligious meeting in downtown Beirut.- Schisms -The visit to Turkey, a strategic crossroad between East and West, is also aimed at promoting the Church’s dialogue with Islam.Leo will meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday and visit the Blue Mosque in Istanbul on Saturday.But at the heart of the trip is the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which Leo was invited to attend by Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual head of Orthodox Christianity.Catholics recognise the universal authority of the pope as head of the Church, while Orthodox Christians are organised into churches that appoint their own heads.The 325 A.D. meeting in Nicaea predated the schisms that divided Christianity between East and West and the commemoration is an important moment to promote Christian unity.On the shores of Lake Iznik, the current name for Nicaea, the 70-year-old will join dignitaries from various Orthodox churches on Friday for a prayer which his predecessor, who died in April, had originally been set to attend.There will be one notable absence. With the war in Ukraine deepening a rift between the patriarchates of Moscow and Constantinople, Russian Patriarch Kirill — a supporter of President Vladimir Putin — was not invited.The pope will be careful not to inflame tensions further by irritating Moscow, which fears the Vatican will strengthen Constantinople’s role as a privileged interlocutor and weaken its influence.

Washington and Kyiv said that any eventual deal to halt the war with Russia must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty, after “constructive” talks between US, Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva.After a day of meetings that kicked off based on a US proposal that was criticised as being in Russia’s favour, negotiators have drafted “an updated and refined peace framework”, a US-Ukraine joint statement said on Sunday.US President Donald Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his plan to end the nearly four-year conflict, which began after Russia launched a full-scale invasion.But Kyiv was seeking changes to the draft that accepted a range of Russia’s hardline demands, with the 28-point plan requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO.”The talks were constructive, focused, and respectful, underscoring the shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace,” the joint statement said.”They reaffirmed that any future agreement must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and deliver a sustainable and just peace,” it said, noting “meaningful progress”.Both sides pledged to keep working on joint proposals “in the coming days.”But even as the White House said in a separate statement that the talks marked “a “significant step forward”, a Russian drone strike on the major Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed four people, its mayor said.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of “tremendous” progress after a day of meetings, while the head of Ukraine’s delegation Andriy Yermak also told reporters the sides had made “very good progress”.The Ukrainian delegation referred to a new version of the US draft plan, which has yet to be published, saying it “already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities”.Rubio, whose delegation included Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff, told reporters that the work to narrow the areas of disagreement had advanced “in a very substantial way”. “I can tell you that the items that remain open are not insurmountable,” he said, adding: “I honestly believe we’ll get there.”Rubio stressed that any final agreement would “have to be agreed upon by the presidents, and there are a couple issues that we need to continue to work on” before trying to bring onboard the Kremlin, which welcomed the original proposal.”Obviously, the Russians get a vote.”Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would speak with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Monday. Turkey has hosted three rounds of talks on ending the war.- ‘Zero gratitude’ claim -His comments came after Trump earlier lashed out at Ukraine.”UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, also accusing European countries of not doing enough to stop the war, but offering no direct condemnation of Moscow.Not long after, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that his country was “grateful to the United States… and personally to President Trump” for the assistance that has been “saving Ukrainian lives”.Announcing a deadly Russian drone strike, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram Sunday it was “truly horrible” that despite the negotiations, “Russian troops are attacking civilian objects, civilian infrastructure, residential buildings”.At the end of the day, Rubio said he thought Trump was “quite pleased at the reports we’ve given him about the amount of progress that’s been made”.Asked about whether he believed a deal could be reached by Thursday, he said “the deadline is we want to get this done as soon as possible”.”I think we made a tremendous amount of progress. I feel very optimistic that we’re going to get there in a very reasonable period of time, very soon.”- European ‘centrality’ -The US plan was drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies, who were scrambling Sunday to make their voices heard and boost Kyiv’s position.EU countries plan to discuss the Ukraine situation on the sidelines of a meeting with African leaders in Angola Monday.”Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, stressing that the “centrality” of the European Union’s role must be “fully reflected” in any peace plan.A number of leaders called Trump Sunday, with Downing Street saying UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the US president had agreed “that we all must work together at this critical moment to bring about a just and lasting peace”.

Americans are expected to spend a record amount over the holiday season, despite lingering worries in the world’s biggest economy about stubborn inflation, tariffs and the knock-on effects of the government shutdown.”Consumers remain pretty concerned about inflation and, there’s no doubt, about where prices are going,” Mark Mathews, chief economist at the National Retail Federation (NRF), told reporters.For Mathews, the last time consumer confidence was so low — apart from the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic — dates back to the early 1980s.But, he added, “over the past few years, we’ve seen consumers spend irrespective of how they’re feeling about things.”The National Retail Federation expects holiday sales — from November 1 to December 31 — to top $1 trillion for the first time, with growth of 3.7-4.2 percent as compared with last year.The record-setting 43-day government shutdown, which left hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed and without a paycheck, triggered a decline in demand and in revenue for the private sector, but that situation is expected to quickly be reversed.President Donald Trump’s sweeping on-off tariffs however could affect demand for certain products, although experts say competition should temper the effects of tariffs on consumers’ wallets.”We’re seeing a deliberate and aggressive approach to avoid passing price increases onto the consumers,” said NRF president Matt Shay.Competition, especially in online deals, should help avert a massive hike in prices.For buyers, competitive prices and free delivery are two key factors, Vivek Pandya, an analyst at Adobe Digital Insights, told AFP.The share of sales made online should increase this holiday season to $253.4 billion dollars, up 5.3 percent over last year, according to Adobe Analytics.A record $5 billion is expected to be spent per day over the 10 days that begins on “Black Friday” and runs through “Cyber Week.”- ‘Restraint’ -For Pandya, a 5.3 percent increase in online sales is “actually pretty good” given the variables and challenges in the US economy.He highlighted that sales in fact were up from October, when Amazon holds its major Prime Day sales.But the big day will certainly be Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, which is the traditional launch of the holiday shopping season — and also when the best deals are to be had.That is followed by Cyber Monday, when online shopping takes center stage, especially on electronics and other tech.For Stephanie Guichard, a senior economist at the Conference Board business research organization, US consumers are remaining “cautious” and may approach gift purchases with some “restraint” after years of inflation-related belt-tightening.The Conference Board’s annual survey revealed that Americans will spend an average of $990 on holiday-related purchases this year, down 6.9 percent from 2024.When adjusted for inflation, the figures are well under pre-pandemic spending.”Consumers also said they are focused on giving their family and friends items they need this year rather than items they want,” Guichard said in a statement.More and more Americans are also turning to “buy now, pay later” options to spread out the spending over several months. – Shopping, AI style -This year, artificial intelligence chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini are gaining traction as a tool for consumers looking for the perfect gift or the best deals.In October, traffic to US retail websites from generative-AI sources spiked 1,200 percent year-on-year, and those web users were 16 percent more likely to buy something, according to Adobe Analytics.”This indicates that with AI tools, shoppers are becoming more informed and able to pinpoint the most relevant retailers for their needs,” Adobe said.Another shopping trend is “social commerce,” or selling products directly to consumers on social media platforms, often via posts made by influencers.”Social commerce is incredibly important” this year, Pandya told AFP.”People are spending a lot of time on their mobile devices, a lot of time on social media apps (…) and these influencers have become very effective at providing really strong discount codes and perks for their audiences to spend.”So what are the hot gift items for 2025? Experts say the new Nintendo Switch 2 game console and Apple’s latest iPhone 17s will be popular, along with household appliances and home renovation items, as economic uncertainty means Americans are less likely to move.

Universal’s musical sequel “Wicked: For Good” stole the box office spotlight in its North America debut this weekend, with a record-setting haul to the tune of $150 million, industry estimates showed Sunday.Variety said the film’s debut was the highest ever for a Broadway musical adaptation, while analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research called it a “sensational, record-breaking opening” for a fantasy adventure sequel.Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo and pop star Ariana Grande return as the magical land of Oz’s most notable witches — the green-skinned, outcast Elphaba and popular pink-wearing Glinda — to wrap up the story-line introduced in last year’s blockbuster part one.The “Wizard of Oz” retelling is based on the long-running Broadway musical, itself adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel.Part two follows Glinda and Elphaba — now dubbed the Wicked Witch of the West — as they struggle against the nefarious mechanizations of The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).”This is broad-appeal Hollywood filmmaking at its best, a spectacular adventure story told from a female point of view,” said Gross.”Strong word-of-mouth is going to drive business through next week’s 5-day Thanksgiving holiday and into December,” he added.In second place at the US and Canadian box office, according to Exhibitor Relations, was Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” with $9.1 million.The third installment in the crime heist franchise dropped from the top spot a week prior, when it took in over $21 million.The film reunites Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Woody Harrelson as Robin Hood-style illusionists targeting dangerous criminals.With $6.3 million, third place went to 20th Century’s “Predator: Badlands,” the latest installment in the decades-old sci-fi horror franchise.Paramount’s “The Running Man” — a new take on Stephen King’s dystopian novel about a murderous game show — fell two spots since its debut last weekend to fourth place, with $5.8 million.Fifth place went to Searchlight’s “Rental Family,” starring Brendan Fraser as a struggling actor who takes on odd stand-in roles in Japan.Gross called the film’s $3.3 million haul a “soft opening for a fall drama,” but said it should get a lift from next week’s long holiday weekend, and that international revenue “should be solid,” given its setting and Fraser’s foreign appeal.Rounding out the top-10 were:”Sisu: Road to Revenge” ($2.6 million)”Regretting You” ($1.5 million)”Nuremberg” ($1.2 million)”Black Phone 2″ ($1.0 million)”Sarah’s Oil” ($770,000)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio boasted “tremendous” progress after a day of meetings with Ukrainian and European officials in Geneva on a proposal to halt the Ukraine war, but numerous uncertainties remain. The head of Ukraine’s delegation Andriy Yermak also told reporters earlier that the sides had made “very good progress”, and were “moving forward to the just and lasting peace Ukrainian people deserve”.US President Donald Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his controversial plan to end the nearly four-year conflict that erupted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.But Kyiv is seeking changes to a draft that accepts a range of Russia’s hardline demands, with the 28-point plan requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO.Rubio, whose delegation included Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff, told reporters that the work to narrow the areas of disagreement had advanced “in a very substantial way”. “I can tell you that the items that remain open are not insurmountable,” he said, adding “I honestly believe we’ll get there.”Rubio stressed that any final agreement would “have to be agreed upon by the presidents, and there are a couple issues that we need to continue to work on” before trying to bring onboard the Kremlin, which welcomed the original proposal.”Obviously, the Russians get a vote.”- ‘Zero gratitude’ claim -His comments came after Trump earlier lashed out at Ukraine as the talks in Geneva were underway.”UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, also accusing European countries of not doing enough to stop the war, but offering no direct condemnation of Moscow.Not long after, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that his country was “grateful to the United States… and personally to President Trump” for the assistance that has been “saving Ukrainian lives”.The Ukrainian delegation meanwhile referred to a new version of the US draft plan, which has yet to be published, saying it “already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities”.At the end of the day, Rubio said he thought Trump was “quite pleased at the reports we’ve given him about the amount of progress that’s been made”.Asked about whether he believed a deal could be reached by Thursday, as demanded by the US president, he said “the deadline is we want to get this done as soon as possible”.”I think we made a tremendous amount of progress. I feel very optimistic that we’re going to get there in a very reasonable period of time, very soon.”The US delegation in Geneva also included US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and also, surprisingly, Alexus Grynkewich, the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe.Grynkewich did not attend in his NATO capacity but as a senior US military representative, according to a senior NATO official who did not wish to be named.- European ‘centrality’ -Rubio said that his delegation had met Sunday with “national security advisors from various European countries”.Ukraine’s delegation also met with high-level officials from Britain, France and Germany.The US plan was drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies, who were scrambling Sunday to make their voices heard and boost Kyiv’s position.”Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, stressing that the “centrality” of the European Union’s role must be “fully reflected” in any peace plan.”The task now is to make the 28-point plan presented by the American government a viable document,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meanwhile said at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, adding that he had made a proposal being discussed in Geneva in that direction.European Union countries were planning to meet to discuss the Ukraine situation on the sidelines of a meeting with African leaders in Angola on Monday.And French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke on the phone with Zelensky Sunday, said the 30 countries in the “coalition of the willing” supporting Kyiv would hold a video call on Tuesday.A number of leaders also called Trump Sunday, with Downing Street saying UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the US president had agreed “that we all must work together at this critical moment to bring about a just and lasting peace”.Finnish President Alexander Stubb told AFP that he and Italian leader Giorgia Meloni also called Trump Sunday to discuss his Ukraine proposal.Meloni later told reporters at the G20 that while there were points in the US plan “that certainly need to be discussed”, there was no need for a “complete counterproposal”.

US and Ukrainian lead delegates hailed “good progress” Sunday in talks on Donald Trump’s proposal to halt Ukraine’s war with Russia, after the US president accused Kyiv of ingratitude.Taking a brief break following a day of talks in Geneva, the head of Ukraine’s delegation Andriy Yermak told reporters the sides had made “very good progress”, and were “moving forward to the just and lasting peace Ukrainian people deserve”.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose delegation also included Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff, echoed the positive sentiment, saying the day’s talks were “probably the most productive and meaningful… so far in this entire process”.Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his controversial plan to end the nearly four-year conflict that erupted after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.But Kyiv is seeking changes to a draft that accepts a range of Russia’s hardline demands, with the 28-point plan requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO.The US president told reporters Saturday the proposal was not his final offer and he hoped to stop the fighting “one way or the other”, raising hopes that it would be possible to strengthen Kyiv’s position.- ‘Zero gratitude’ claim -“We’re working through making some changes, some adjustments in the hopes of furthering narrowing the differences and getting closer to something that both Ukraine and obviously the United States are very comfortable with,” Rubio told reporters.”Obviously, this will ultimately have to be signed off of by our presidents, although I feel very comfortable about that happening, given the progress we’ve made.”Trump earlier lashed out at Ukraine as the talks in Geneva were under way.”UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, also accusing European countries of not doing enough to stop the war, but offering no direct condemnation of Moscow.Not long after, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that his country was “grateful to the United States… and personally to President Trump” for the assistance that has been “saving Ukrainian lives”.The Ukrainian delegation meanwhile referred to a new version of the US draft plan, which has yet to be published, saying it “already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities”.- European ‘centrality’ -Ukraine’s delegation also met Sunday with high-level officials from Britain, France and Germany in the Swiss city.The US plan was drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies, who were scrambling Sunday to make their voices heard and boost Kyiv’s position.”Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, stressing that the “centrality” of the European Union’s role must be “fully reflected” in any peace plan.French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke on the phone with Zelensky Sunday, told a news conference at the G20 summit in South Africa on Saturday that the plan contained points that had to be more broadly discussed as they concerned European allies, such as Ukraine’s NATO ties and Russian frozen assets held in the EU.The US delegation in Geneva also included Alexus Grynkewich, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe.Finnish President Alexander Stubb told AFP that he and Italian leader Giorgia Meloni called Trump Sunday to discuss his Ukraine proposal.Meloni later told reporters at the G20 that while there were points in the US plan “that certainly need to be discussed”, there was no need for a “complete counterproposal”.- ‘Wish list’ -Questions have been raised over how much input Moscow may have had in drafting the original proposal, which was welcomed by the Kremlin.Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the blueprint could “lay the foundation” for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.Ahead of Sunday’s talks, Washington insisted the Trump proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list”.Rubio himself insisted on social media late Saturday that “the peace proposal was authored by the US”. “It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”That did not calm all concerns.”Together with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, we have declared our readiness to work on the 28-point plan despite some reservations,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X Sunday.”However, before we start our work, it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created.”

US President Donald Trump on Sunday accused Ukraine again of lacking “gratitude” for Washington’s support against Russia’s invasion, as top US and Ukrainian representatives met in Geneva for talks on a proposal to halt the war.”UKRAINE ‘LEADERSHIP’ HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, also blasting European countries for not doing enough to stop the war, but offering no direct condemnation of Moscow.His comments came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was meeting with top Ukrainian officials in a wintery Geneva Sunday to discuss the US president’s controversial 28-point plan for ending the nearly four-year conflict.The Ukrainian delegation, headed by Andriy Yermak, also met with high-level officials from Britain, France and Germany in the Swiss city, as European countries scramble to have a seat at the table in the discussions.Trump had given Ukraine until November 27 to approve the plan, but Kyiv wants changes to a draft that accepts a range of Russia’s hardline demands, including requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday said he was “sceptical” a deal could be reached by that deadline.The US president told reporters Saturday the proposal was not his final offer and he hoped to stop the fighting “one way or the other”, raising hopes that it would be possible to strengthen Kyiv’s position.- ‘Ukrainian perspectives’ included -A US official, who asked not to be named, told AFP that a number of meetings were held throughout the day Sunday, with the US and Ukrainian delegation holding “detailed discussions about the peace agreement”.”It was productive and even conclusive in some areas,” the official said, adding that a second round of talks underway at the US mission in Geneva aimed at “ironing out the details of the agreement”.By late Sunday afternoon, Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said the latest version of the US draft plan, which AFP has not seen, “already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities”.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said on social media that the “American proposals may include a number of elements based on Ukrainian perspectives and critical for Ukrainian national interests”, hailing that “diplomacy has been reinvigorated”.- Recognise European ‘centrality’ -The US plan was drafted without input from Ukraine’s European allies, who were striving Sunday to make their voices heard and boost Kyiv’s position.”Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, stressing that the “centrality” of the European Union’s role must be “fully reflected” in any peace plan. Ukraine’s European allies gathered at the G20 summit in South Africa stressed that the US plan requires “additional work”.Finnish President Alexander Stubb told AFP that he and Italian leader Giorgia Meloni had called Trump early Sunday to discuss his Ukraine proposal.”Of course, we discussed the situation, the 28-point plan, and some of the developments here in Johannesburg related to the peace plan,” he said, declining to reveal the content of the discussions.French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference at the G20 that the plan contained points that had to be more broadly discussed as they concerned European allies, such as Ukraine’s NATO ties and Russian frozen assets held in the EU.He said the 30 countries in the “coalition of the willing” supporting Kyiv will hold a video call on Tuesday following the Geneva talks.European Union countries were also planning to meet to discuss the Ukraine situation on the sidelines of a meeting with African leaders in Angola on Monday.- ‘Wish list’ -Questions were meanwhile being raised over how much input Moscow may have had in drafting the original proposal, which was welcomed by the Kremlin.Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the blueprint could “lay the foundation” for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.Ahead of Sunday’s talks, Washington insisted the Trump proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list”. Rubio himself insisted on social media late Saturday that “the peace proposal was authored by the US”. “It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”That did not calm all concerns.”Together with the leaders of Europe, Canada and Japan, we have declared our readiness to work on the 28-point plan despite some reservations,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X Sunday. “However, before we start our work, it would be good to know for sure who is the author of the plan and where was it created.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was to meet Ukrainian officials in Geneva Sunday, seeking to “iron out” details of Washington’s plan to end the war, as Kyiv hailed “reinvigorated diplomacy”. US President Donald Trump has given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his controversial plan to end the nearly four-year conflict, but Kyiv is seeking changes to a draft that accepts a range of Russia’s hardline demands.Before the Ukrainian delegation met with the Americans Sunday afternoon, President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed that “diplomacy has been reinvigorated”, voicing hope “the conversation can be constructive”.”The bloodshed must be stopped,” he said on X, insisting: “We all need a positive outcome”.In Geneva, Ukraine’s top negotiator Andriy Yermak said his delegation had met with high-level officials from Britain, France and Germany before heading into the meeting with Rubio.The 28-point plan would require the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO. Trump told reporters Saturday it was not his final offer and he hoped to stop the fighting “one way or the other”.”Today we hope to iron out the final details of the peace agreement,” a US official told AFP Sunday, asking not to be named.- Recognise European ‘centrality’ -The US plan was drafted without input from Ukraine or its European allies, leaving them scrambling to come up with a counter-offer to strengthen Kyiv’s position.”Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement, stressing that the “centrality” of the European Union’s role must be “fully reflected” in any peace plan. Ukraine’s European allies gathered at the G20 summit in South Africa stressed that the US plan requires “additional work”.”We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack,” the leaders of key European countries, Canada and Japan said in a joint statement.Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere meanwhile warned of “major flaws” in the US plan.”One of them is to get Europe at the table and, not least, get Ukraine at the table,” he told AFP in South Africa.Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the senior officials were meeting in Geneva “to take things further forward”, stressing the importance of solid “security guarantees” for Ukraine under any settlement.French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile told a news conference at the G20 that the plan contained points that had to be more broadly discussed as they concerned European allies, such as Ukraine’s NATO ties and Russian frozen assets held in the EU.He said the 30 countries in the “coalition of the willing” supporting Kyiv will hold a video call on Tuesday following the Geneva talks.European Union countries were also planning to meet to discuss the Ukraine situation on the sidelines of a meeting with African leaders in Angola on Monday.- ‘Wish list’ -The Kremlin has welcomed the Trump plan, but there were no plans Russian officials to join Sunday’s talks, according to the US official.Russian President Vladimir Putin has meanwhile said the blueprint could “lay the foundation” for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.Ahead of Sunday’s talks, Washington insisted the Trump proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list”. Rubio himself insisted on social media late Saturday that “the peace proposal was authored by the US”. “It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”Zelensky said in an address to the nation on Friday that Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, adding that he would propose “alternatives” to Trump’s plan.”The pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,” Zelensky said, referring to a possible break with Washington.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Geneva Sunday morning for discussions on a US plan to end the Ukraine war, after Washington signalled room for negotiation on the controversial proposal.Trump has given Ukraine until November 27 to approve the plan to end the nearly four-year conflict, but Kyiv is seeking changes to a draft that accepts some of Russia’s hardline demands.Rubio, whose reported comments about the plan have thrown an extraordinary element of confusion into efforts to negotiate an end to the war, landed shortly before 9:30 am (0830 GMT), according to AFP journalists on site.Ukrainian, European and Canadian officials were also gathering in the Swiss city, although the format for the talks remained unclear.The US plan to end the Ukraine war has drawn pushback from Kyiv, its allies and US lawmakers ahead of Sunday talks.The 28-point plan would require the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO. Trump told reporters Saturday it was not his final offer and he hoped to stop the fighting “one way or the other”.Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, speaking on Fox News, described the plan as “a work in progress”.Ukraine’s European allies, who were not included in drafting the proposal, said the plan requires “additional work” as they scrambled at the G20 summit in South Africa to come up with a counter-offer to strengthen Kyiv’s position.Washington meanwhile insisted Saturday the proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list”.Rubio himself insisted on social media late Saturday that “the peace proposal was authored by the US”. “It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.”- Ukrainian dignity not negotiable -Diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff and US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll were also also scheduled to take part on the US side, while the Ukrainian delegation is headed by Andriy Yermak, a top aide of President Volodymyr Zelensky.”Consultations will take place with partners regarding the steps needed to end the war,” Zelensky said.”Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and what is necessary to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion,” having annexed Crimea in 2014 and mounted a full-scale offensive in 2022, he said.Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the senior officials would meet in Geneva “to take things further forward”, stressing the importance of solid “security guarantees” for Ukraine under any settlement.Starmer said his national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, would be in Geneva. Italian diplomatic sources said Rome was sending national security advisor Fabrizio Saggio.Security officials from the EU, France and Germany will also attend, French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference at the G20, while Canada’s national security advisor was also expected.”There is no scenario in which Ukraine’s dignity and liberty is negotiable,” Alice Rufo of France’s deputy armed forces minister, told French radio Sunday before heading to Geneva. – ‘Plan needs more work’ -Western leaders at the G20 summit said that the US plan was “a basis which will require additional work”.”We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack,” the leaders of key European countries, Canada and Japan said in a joint statement.Macron said said the plan contained points that had to be more broadly discussed as they concerned European allies, such as Ukraine’s NATO ties and Russian frozen assets held in the EU.He said the 30 countries in the “coalition of the willing” supporting Kyiv will hold a video call on Tuesday following the Geneva talks.”We all want peace and we are agreed. We want the peace to be strong and lasting,” he said, insisting a settlement must “take into account the security of all Europeans”.Zelensky said in an address to the nation on Friday that Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, adding that he would propose “alternatives” to Trump’s plan.”The pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,” Zelensky said, referring to a possible break with Washington.Russian President Vladimir Putin said the blueprint could “lay the foundation” for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.