Although Ukraine reportedly has agreed to a Trump administration peace deal in its war with Russia, major obstacles remain, Newsmax learned Tuesday.
The development came two days after the United States and Ukraine reported significant progress in peace talks in Geneva. Negotiators unveiled a revised framework after the administration’s initial 28-point plan drew criticism for appearing to favor Russia. Although details of the updated plan have not been made public, U.S. and Ukrainian officials said the framework has been narrowed to 19 proposals.
It also coincided with U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll holding previously undisclosed talks with a Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi on Monday, suggesting the administration’s diplomatic push is gaining momentum.
A Ukrainian official directly involved in the Geneva negotiations told Newsmax on Tuesday the talks were "positive and constructive," but added it "does not mean [the] document is finalized, the process is going on." The official said several unresolved matters are "the tough ones," including territorial issues and frozen Russian assets.
"President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy has always said territorial issues must be discussed on leaders level," the official said, indicating the question would require direct engagement between Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump rather than with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"No indication of Zelenskyy-Putin meeting," the official said. "We are ready to meet President Trump anytime."
On frozen Russian assets, the official stressed that "we need European engagement on this. Europeans have to make decisions." The official added that "we are coming closer to an agreement" on security guarantees for Ukraine.
Asked whether negotiators had reached agreement on amending Ukraine’s constitution regarding NATO membership, the official replied, "We aim not to change constitution."
A 2018 constitutional amendment affirmed Ukraine’s determination to join the European Union and NATO, and any further changes to the document must be approved by Parliament.
Zelenskyy is simultaneously confronting an unprecedented rebellion from lawmakers at home after investigators last week revealed a $100 million corruption scandal involving senior Ukrainian officials. Asked if the scandal was raised in Geneva, the official replied, "no, they were not mentioned."
A source also told Newsmax that even though Secretary of State Marco Rubio moderated the talks, "everyone was equally engaged."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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