US and Ukrainian officials announced notable advancements during intense weekend negotiations in Geneva aimed at revising Washington's controversial 28-point peace blueprint for the Ukraine conflict. The original plan, unveiled last week, drew sharp criticism for mirroring key Russian demands, including territorial handovers from Ukraine and a permanent bar on its NATO membership, while also calling for downsizing Kyiv's military forces.

An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who participated in the Geneva discussions, revealed that negotiators addressed nearly every element of the proposal except territorial disputes, which require direct resolution by national leaders. Oleksandr Bevz emphasized the US delegation's receptiveness to Ukraine's insistence on robust security guarantees as the foundation of any settlement, with further refinements expected before a summit between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump. Bevz refrained from disclosing specific Ukrainian concessions but noted the atmosphere carried high tension among all parties involved.

European leaders, caught off guard by the initial US outline and viewing the war's spillover as a direct threat to their own defenses, actively lobbied for adjustments during the talks. Finnish President Alexander Stubb described the outcome as a constructive advance on social media, though substantial hurdles persist, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised the significant modifications to the proposal without elaborating on details. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Ukraine's coalition of approximately 30 supporting nations would convene virtually on Tuesday to assess the developments.

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President Trump, who had publicly pressed Ukraine for quicker compliance and set a Thursday deadline for acceptance, shifted to cautious optimism in a social media post, questioning whether substantial progress truly emerged but acknowledging potential positive momentum. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who oversaw the Geneva session, dismissed the deadline's rigidity and expressed strong confidence in reaching a viable agreement soon, marking the most fruitful dialogue in recent months. Zelenskyy echoed this sentiment late Sunday, highlighting the revival of diplomatic channels as a vital and encouraging shift.

Despite the reported headway, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russian officials have yet to receive the updated plan and scheduled no immediate meetings with US counterparts, though Moscow remains amenable to dialogue. Putin's foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov noted that the prior version contained several Moscow-friendly elements and dismissed circulating European alternatives as unproductive. As talks unfold, Russian drone assaults overnight targeted residential zones in Kharkiv, killing four civilians including children and injuring 13 more, while damaging homes, a school, and infrastructure, according to Ukrainian authorities who reported intercepting 162 drones in a widespread barrage.

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