Optimism and Skepticism Duel as Ukraine Peace Talks Continue

TaiwanPlus News

New talks on ending the war in Ukraine have received mixed reactions. Washington and Kyiv are optimistic. But Europe has a counter-offer to US President Donald Trump's peace plan, one that stresses Ukraine's territorial integrity. Meanwhile, on the ground in Ukraine itself, Trump's plan is being met with skepticism and even rejection.

Transcript

00:00It's been a night of fresh destruction and carnage in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

00:08A new Russian drone strike has killed four people and wounded 17.

00:13Right now, U.S., Ukrainian and European officials are trying to bring an end

00:17to almost four years of fighting between Russia and Ukraine.

00:20And people here hope something will come through to end their suffering.

00:25We want peace, and we want all this to end quickly so that we can live in peace

00:30and our children don't have to see this.

00:34U.S. President Donald Trump has given Khiv until Thursday to accept his 28-point peace plan.

00:43This would see Ukraine cede land to Russia, cut its military, and pledge never to join NATO.

00:49Trump says it's not his final offer, but it's the plan he wants to see go through.

00:54U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is upbeat about how peace talks in Geneva have gone so far.

01:03We arrived here today with one goal, and the goal was to take 28 points or 26 points,

01:10depending on which version, as it continued to evolve, and try to narrow the ones that were open items.

01:15And we have achieved that today in a very substantial way.

01:18Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the Trump administration.

01:22After Trump called Ukraine ungrateful for his work.

01:25Zelensky says he feels Trump's team is hearing Ukraine.

01:28And he says he expects more talks ahead to defend Ukraine's interests.

01:32The unity of Ukrainians in the defense of their national interests, and of our independence

01:39and our sovereignty.

01:40This is what works.

01:41There are directives given to the Ukrainian delegation.

01:44There is the direction our Ukrainian delegation follows, and it would be very desirable if we

01:49don't have opposing signals, non-Ukrainian signals coming from Ukraine.

01:53Trump's plan isn't the only one out there, though.

01:57Several of Ukraine's European allies want a higher cap on the size of Ukraine's military.

02:02And crucially, no talk of ceding land.

02:05First, borders cannot be changed by force.

02:10Second, as a sovereign nation, there cannot be limitations on Ukraine's armed forces that

02:17would leave the country vulnerable to future attack, and thereby also undermining European security.

02:24Third, the centrality of the European Union in securing peace for Ukraine must be fully reflected.

02:32Trump's plan also has strong critics, who see it as too lenient on Russia.

02:39And this is especially the case inside Ukraine.

02:42In places like this graveyard in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, the final resting place of many killed in an early Russian assault,

02:49Trump's plan is a non-starter.

02:52Let Trump's sons come here. Let them feel our pain. Let them see all this.

02:59And maybe then they will change their minds. War breathes hatred.

03:03There is hatred in many Ukrainians against Russia.

03:06It is internal. It cannot be said at all.

03:09I will speak for myself. Yes, my son. My son's grave is there.

03:14If they sign these terms, it won't be very good.

03:18Because what did our men fight for just so that our land could be taken away?

03:22I don't like that option.

03:23If there were other terms, if they left our territories, then yes, I would agree.

03:28But when they take away our territory, where we have lived all our lives, where our homes are, I don't agree.

03:34So even as talks proceed in far-off places like Geneva, in Ukraine there is no pause to this war,

03:43as both sides exchange attacks and the next drone strike could come at any moment.

03:48Joseph Wu and John Van Trieste for Taiwan Plus.

03:52Thank you very much for joining us for joining us!

03:55..

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