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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.”

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 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.

The US military operation against Venezuelan alleged drug traffickers coupled with threats by Donald Trump for a ground assault against President Nicolas Maduro have troubled European powers who retain strategically located territories in the Caribbean, observers say.The concern of France, the Netherlands and the UK is such that they have started limiting intelligence sharing with Washington about the Caribbean over worries it could be used for strikes that would be considered illegal in their countries, according to officials and sources who spoke to AFP.The UK retains small overseas territories in the Caribbean from the colonial era, while the large islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe as well as French Guiana on the South American mainland are now officially part of France.The Netherlands is the most geographically implicated, with three islands off the coast of Venezuela dubbed the ABC — Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao — all part of the kingdom.Venezuela has accused Washington of seeking regime change in Caracas with its military build-up, including an aircraft carrier group, warships and several stealth jets.Washington accuses Maduro of leading a “terrorist” drug cartel, a charge he denies. Since September, US forces have killed at least 83 people via air strikes on boats accused of ferrying drugs in international waters, according to an AFP tally of publicly released figures.The United States has released no details to back up its claims that the people targeted in both the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in the more than 20 strikes were traffickers.Trump has said he believes Maduro’s days were numbered and on Monday refused to rule out boots on the ground while adding he was open to talks with the leftist leader.”The Dutch are concerned about their ABC islands… located about 50 kilometres (31 miles) off the coast of Venezuela,” a French military official said, asking not to be named.They “would find themselves on the front line” in the event of war, a European military source added, also asking not to be named as they were not authorised to speak on the record.- ‘Not currently giving intelligence’ -With few options in the face of Trump’s resolve, these three countries have decided to stop sharing certain intelligence with Washington, multiple sources said.”We are particularly vigilant regarding the politicisation of our services and human rights violations,” Erik Akerboom, director of the Dutch civilian intelligence and counterintelligence service, told the newspaper De Volkskrant.”No European country, France included, will send operational intelligence to the Americans in the current situation if they could use it as a basis for a military strike on a ship,” a senior French police official, Dimitri Zoulas, head of the OFAST anti-drug service, told Radio Caraibes (RCI).This position has not been publicly confirmed by French authorities. But a security source said: “It is 100 percent clear that Europeans are not currently giving any intelligence to the United States that could lead to a strike.”In the UK, the Times reported that attorney general Richard Hermer, the government’s top legal advisor, told ministers to cut off intelligence sharing over fears Trump could “assassinate” drug dealers in the Caribbean.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this month dismissed reports the UK had stopped sharing such intelligence as “fake news”.- ‘Not a fundamental change’ -Richard Dearlove, former head of the British MI6 foreign intelligence service, told AFP the situation was not unique and avoided Europeans being complicit in an action that was perhaps legal in an American jurisdiction but not in their countries.”It doesn’t affect the overall intelligence exchange. It’s a local and a specific issue. And it’s occurred before in my experience,” he said.Europeans are aware of the risk of antagonising the Trump administration.”Before saying no to the United States and making it known, we have to think twice, because they provide a lot” of information to their allies, said a source from a European intelligence service.But the Europeans’ contribution to American intelligence work in the field is very limited, said a former US military officer who worked in counter-narcotics operations in the region.The Europeans’ restraint has a “theoretical” effect because the United States doesn’t need the information, according to the French security source.Dearlove insisted that as it is “strictly speaking a legal problem” this should not affect the wider picture of transatlantic intelligence sharing.”The CIA understands this extremely well. It’s a well known area which is sometimes problematic but it does not indicate a fundamental change in the intelligence relationship,” he said.

Washington signalled room for negotiation on a US plan to end the Ukraine war that has drawn pushback from Kyiv, its allies and US lawmakers ahead of Sunday talks on the proposal in Switzerland.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.Washington insisted Saturday the proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list”.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.A US official told AFP that Rubio and diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff would land in Geneva on Sunday for the talks and that US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll had already arrived after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.”The peace proposal was authored by the US,” Rubio wrote on social media late Saturday.”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.”- Russian ‘representatives’ expected -Zelensky has issued a decree naming Ukraine’s delegation for the talks, led by his top aide Andriy Yermak.It also says the negotiations would include “representatives of the Russian Federation” but there was no immediate confirmation from Moscow whether it would join the talks.Zelensky said “consultations will take place with partners regarding the steps needed to end the war”.”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.”The focus very much now is on Geneva tomorrow and whether we can make progress,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg.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.- West says 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 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.”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.

Washington insisted Saturday that its Ukraine proposal is indeed official US policy, denying claims by a group of senators that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the document under discussion is just a Russian “wish list.”The dispute over the 28-point plan — which cedes Ukrainian territory long sought by Moscow — threw an extraordinary element of confusion into efforts to negotiate an end to the war. US President Donald Trump has pushed the plan, pressuring the Ukrainians to accept it within days. Negotiators will meet in Switzerland on Sunday.However, after a storm of criticism that the proposal is almost entirely favorable to Moscow, several US senators spoke out, holding a press conference at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada on Saturday. The senators — Republican Mike Rounds, independent Angus King, and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen — said Rubio told them the current Ukraine proposal is not the official US position, but instead lays out a “Russian wish list.””What he (Rubio) told us was that this was not the American proposal. This was a proposal that was received by someone… representing Russia in this proposal. It was given to Mr Witkoff,” Rounds said, referring to Trump’s diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff.”It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan.”King corroborated those comments, saying “the leaked 28-point plan — which according to Secretary Rubio is not the administration’s position — it is essentially the wish list of the Russians that is now being presented to the Europeans and to the Ukrainians.”The plan would require Kyiv to cede territory, cut its military, and pledge never to join NATO.Trump said Saturday it was not his final offer and he hoped to stop the fighting “one way or the other.” – ‘Authored by the US’ – Rubio asserted the 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,” he said Saturday. But Shaheen said she and Rounds spoke to the top US diplomat while he was en route to Geneva for the latest negotiations with Ukrainian officials.Rounds said Rubio was “very frank” during their call.”It doesn’t look like normally something that would come out of our government, particularly the way it was written. It looked more like it was written in Russian to begin with,” Rounds said.King noted that the plan should not reward Moscow for its invasion. “Everyone wants this war to end but we want it to end on a fair and just peace that respects the integrity and the sovereignty of Ukraine and does not reward aggression and also provides adequate security guarantees,” he said. Earlier Saturday, other US senators including some in Trump’s Republican party criticized Washington’s plan. “We will not achieve that lasting peace by offering (Russian President Vladimir) Putin concession after concession and fatally degrading Ukraine’s ability to defend itself,” the group of senators wrote in a statement.Senator Mitch McConnell, a veteran Republican, said “rewarding Russian butchery would be disastrous to America’s interests.” Writing on X, he said that Putin has “spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool.”Since the Russian invasion began in 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to keep Kyiv’s territory intact. In a Friday address to the nation, Zelensky said Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, adding that he would propose “alternatives” to Trump’s proposal.

President Donald Trump signalled room for negotiation on a US plan to end the Ukraine war that has drawn pushback from Kyiv, its allies and US lawmakers ahead of Sunday talks on the proposal in Switzerland.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.Washington insisted on Saturday the proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the document was a Russian “wish list”.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”.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.A US official told AFP that Rubio and diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff would land in Geneva on Sunday for the talks and that US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll had already arrived after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.”The peace proposal was authored by the US,” Rubio wrote on social media late Saturday.”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.”- Russian ‘representatives’ expected -Zelensky has issued a decree naming Ukraine’s delegation for the talks, led by his top aide Andriy Yermak.It also says the negotiations would include “representatives of the Russian Federation” but there was no immediate confirmation from Moscow whether it would join the talks.Zelensky said “consultations will take place with partners regarding the steps needed to end the war”.”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.”The focus very much now is on Geneva tomorrow and whether we can make progress tomorrow morning,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg.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.- West says 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 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.”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”.The European delegates in Geneva will aim “to put substance into the discussions and to reconcile all viewpoints”, he added.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.

Nations sealed a modest agreement at the UN climate summit in the Brazilian Amazon on Saturday as many countries swallowed weaker terms on a fossil fuel phaseout to preserve unity.Nearly 200 countries approved the deal by consensus after two weeks of exhaustive negotiations on the fringes of the rainforest, with the notable absence of the United States as President Donald Trump shunned the talks.Applause rang out as the gavel was brought down in steamy Belem, capping a dramatic summit that witnessed raucous protests, a damaging fire and massive street marches.Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who staked political capital on the success of COP30, said the pact was proof that a fractured world could still unite in crisis.”The international community faced a choice: to continue or to give up. We chose the first option,” Lula said in South Africa, where he was attending a G20 summit. “Multilateralism won.”There was less euphoria in Belem, where defeated European ministers admitted they only took the watered-down deal to keep the entire process from imploding.”We’re not going to hide the fact that we would have preferred to have more,” said EU climate chief Wopke Hoekstra.Later, he added: “I know it’s a bit intangible, but there is huge value in doing stuff together.” The head of China’s delegation at COP30, Li Gao, told AFP that the summit will go down as a success.”We achieved this success in a very difficult situation, so it shows that the international community would like to show solidarity and make joint efforts to address climate change,” Li said. India hailed a “meaningful” deal in a statement read on behalf of major emerging markets Brazil, South Africa, India and China.The Alliance of Small Island States — a bloc of 39 of the world’s most climate-imperiled nations — said the deal was “imperfect, but necessary progress” for a global body that operates by consensus.- Fossil fuels flop -Dozens of countries had threatened to walk away from the talks without an exit strategy from oil, gas and coal — instead, the deal points to a previous pact on fossil fuels, without explicitly using those words. “We know some of you had greater ambitions for some of the issues at hand,” said COP30 president Andre Correa do Lago, who offered to create a voluntary “roadmap” away from fossil fuels as a consolation. Colombia “does not accept” the deal, said President Gustavo Petro, whose country is hosting a world-first summit on a fossil fuel phaseout in April next year.The roadmap idea picked up pace after an early endorsement from Lula, but ran into predictable opposition from oil giants like Saudi Arabia, coal producer India, and others.”President Lula set the bar high in calling for roadmaps to end fossil fuels and deforestation, but a divided multilateral landscape was unable to hurdle it,” said Carolina Pasquali from Greenpeace Brazil.- Money and trade -Brazil sought to manage expectations of landing a major deal given the state of geopolitics and a hostile United States.Even so, optimism took root that Brazil — a champion of developing nations and home to the world’s biggest rainforest — could pull something out of the bag.In a coup for developing countries, the world agreed to “at least triple” by 2035 money for poorer nations to adapt to climate change.But this was the bare minimum, one negotiator from Bangladesh told AFP, vowing the “fight will continue.”Raju Pandit, a negotiator from Nepal, said the summit “had not met the expectations of climate vulnerable countries.”In what was seen as a win for China, strong language around trade measures was also included for the first time in a COP deal.- COP in the Amazon -Away from the politics, the summit departed sharply in feel compared to COPs of recent years staged in tightly-controlled authoritarian petrostates.Tens of thousands of people marched in a carnival-like atmosphere on the streets while inside the venue, protesters chanted in the corridors.But there were unexpected — and less welcome — moments of drama as well. A large fire erupted inside the venue on the second-to-last day, burning through the fabric ceiling and creating a panicked rush for the exits as smoke filled the halls.Early in the first week, Indigenous protesters stormed the venue and clashed with security in scenes that drew global attention to their plight.The Amazon made itself felt — and heard. The humidity could be stifling and most afternoons, the skies would erupt.Even in the final plenary, an exhausted Correa do Lago spoke of “the wonderful noise of an Amazon rain” as he struggled to be heard above the din.