• Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian representatives in Switzerland on Sunday, November 24, 2025, to discuss a controversial 28-point peace proposal.
  • The Trump administration's plan, negotiated without Ukrainian input, would require Ukraine to cede territory, reduce its military, and renounce NATO membership.
  • Internal divisions within the administration and a competing European-Ukrainian proposal have created a complex diplomatic landscape, with one European official describing the talks as "a work in progress, but looking much better now."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner conducted crucial negotiations with Ukrainian officials in Switzerland on Sunday, November 24, 2025, according to people familiar with the matter. The intensive talks centered on the Trump administration's recently unveiled 28-point peace proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

The controversial plan emerged from behind-the-scenes negotiations between Steve Witkoff and Russian counterpart Kirill Dmitriev, following an October meeting in Miami that included Jared Kushner. Ukraine was notably excluded from the negotiation process, with the plan presented to Ukrainian officials as a "take-it-or-leave-it proposition" that would require significant territorial concessions, military reductions, and renunciation of NATO membership aspirations.

Internal administration tensions have complicated the diplomatic effort. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Rubio have adopted divergent positions on ending the war, with Vance favoring a more isolationist approach while Rubio expresses greater caution about Russian manipulation. Rubio, who wasn't fully informed of the plan until late in the process, initially told senators the proposal was Russian-authored before clarifying on social media that it was a U.S. document based on input from both sides.

Following Sunday's talks in Geneva, one European official reported cautiously optimistic signals, noting that "things went in the right direction in Geneva" while acknowledging Rubio "is a pro who knows his stuff. But he works for the president who decides in the end."

Ukraine and its European allies have been racing to counter with their own proposal, seeking a security agreement mirroring NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause and insisting territorial discussions can only occur after hostilities cease along the current line of contact. The White House maintains that the entire national security team is "working cohesively towards a shared goal" to prevent further loss of life.

President Trump faces domestic political pressures that may be influencing negotiation urgency, with his party experiencing significant losses in early November elections. A successful peace deal could provide Trump with a domestic political victory during a period of relative weakness.

The immediate diplomatic focus now centers on whether subsequent movements will be directed toward further European engagement or shift eastward toward Moscow. Attempts to reach spokespeople for Secretary Rubio and the Ukrainian delegation for comment on Sunday's specific outcomes were unsuccessful.