KYIV, Ukraine: The United States pressed Ukraine to accept its proposals to end the war with Russia during talks in Geneva on Sunday, a senior official told AFP, despite Kyiv protests that the plan conceded too much to Moscow.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington did not directly threaten to cut off aid if Kyiv rejected its proposals, but that Ukraine understood this was a distinct possibility.
The US plan, originally made up of 28 points, would see Ukraine effectively cede its eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions to Russia and slash the size of its army — demands that Kyiv has decried as unacceptable.
Ukrainian, US and European officials met in Switzerland on Sunday to draft an “updated” version of the plan, but the Kremlin said Monday that it would not accept European amendments.
Although US pressure on Ukraine eased during the meeting in Geneva, “overall pressure” remained, a senior official briefed on the talks said.
