WASHINGTON: Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is sending his envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week as the US president seeks to close out a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that there were &quot;only a few remaining points of disagreement,&quot; but European leaders were skeptical, and Russian missiles continued to rain down on Ukraine. He also expressed hope to meet &quot;soon&quot; with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, &quot;but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages.&quot; Trump later told journalists aboard Air Force One that Witkoff may be joined in Moscow by the president&#39;s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. An initial US plan, which was heavily weighted in Russia&#39;s favor, has been replaced by one taking in more of Ukraine&#39;s interests, and an official familiar with the new version told AFP it was &quot;significantly better.&quot; However, US officials acknowledged that &quot;delicate&quot; issues remain. French President Emmanuel Macron threw cold water on the idea of a rapid solution, stating there is &quot;clearly no Russian willingness&quot; for a ceasefire or to discuss the new, more Ukraine-friendly proposal. Frantic discussions have been underway since the weekend when Ukrainian and US representatives huddled in Geneva to discuss Trump&#39;s controversial, initial 28-point plan for settling the bloody conflict. The latest talks, including US and Russian delegates, were taking place in Abu Dhabi, US media reported. Leaders of a group of 30 countries supporting Ukraine also met by video on Tuesday. US negotiator Dan Driscoll emerged upbeat from meeting with Russian counterparts, with his spokesperson saying: &quot;The talks are going well and we remain optimistic.&quot; The White House cited &quot;tremendous progress,&quot; while cautioning that &quot;there are a few delicate but not insurmountable details that must be sorted out.&quot; But the war, which began with Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, continued unabated. On Tuesday night, Russia launched a major attack on Zaporizhzhia that damaged at least seven high-rise buildings and caused 12 people to be hospitalized, the head of the regional military administration said. The night before, powerful explosions rocked Kyiv beginning around 1 am local time, as Russian drones and missiles rained down, setting fires in apartment buildings. City officials said seven people were killed. Thick smoke, turning red and orange in the blizzard of Ukrainian air defense fire, rose over the capital as residents fled underground into metro stations, according to AFP reporters. &#39;Tough road ahead&#39; Trump, who long boasted he could negotiate an end to the Ukraine war within 24 hours, announced last week that he wanted his proposal approved by Kyiv by this Thursday &mdash; the US Thanksgiving holiday. But the initial plan, pushing numerous Russian war aims, sparked alarm in Ukraine and Europe. Among its points were prohibitions on Ukraine ever joining NATO and the surrender of swaths of new territory to Russia. The updated plan clearly pleases Kyiv more. The official familiar with the text told AFP that one key improvement was raising a proposed cap on the country&#39;s future military forces from 600,000 to 800,000 members. Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said on Tuesday there was &quot;common understanding on the core&quot; of the deal between Ukraine and the United States. However, remaining details should be hammered out in direct talks &quot;at the earliest suitable date,&quot; he said. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned: &quot;There&#39;s still a long way to go and a tough road ahead.&quot; Russia&#39;s military occupies around a fifth of Ukraine, much of it ravaged by fighting. Tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel have been killed and millions have fled the east of the country. Ukrainian army Sergeant Ivan Zadontsev said negotiating was &quot;healthy.&quot; &quot;We also are getting tired of war. We need a break,&quot; he told AFP. But the proposals by both Washington and the European Union &quot;do not serve Ukraine&#39;s national interests,&quot; he said.

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Europe

US president says "only a few remaining points of disagreement," expresses hope to meet "soon" with Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, "but only when the deal to end this war is final or, in its final stages."

Trump sends Witkoff to Moscow in hopes of finalizing Ukraine deal

KYIV: The United States pressed Ukraine to accept its proposals to end the war with Russia during talks in Geneva, a senior official told AFP, despite Kyiv&#39;s 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 military &mdash; demands that Kyiv has described as unacceptable. While negotiators wrangled to find a way out of the war, early on Tuesday, powerful explosions rocked Kyiv, and the air force warned of a countrywide threat of missiles. In Switzerland on Sunday, Ukrainian, US, and European officials met to draft an &quot;updated&quot; version of the plan to end the war, but the Kremlin responded on Monday that it would not accept European amendments. Although US pressure on Ukraine eased during the Geneva meeting, &quot;overall pressure&quot; remained, a senior official briefed on the talks said. The source said they did not understand why Washington was hurrying toward a deal, but that &quot;everyone&quot; was for an end to the war if there was a real opportunity to do so. The White House pushed back on criticism that President Donald Trump was favoring Russia in his efforts to end the war. &quot;The idea that the United States of America is not engaging with both sides equally in this war to bring it to an end is a complete and total fallacy,&quot; Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Kyiv and its European allies say the war, the largest and deadliest on European soil since World War II, is an unprovoked and illegal land grab that has resulted in a tidal wave of violence and destruction. Tens of thousands of civilians and military personnel have been killed since the invasion began, while millions of Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes. &#39;Critical moment&#39;&nbsp;Trump initially gave Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky until Thursday to respond to the first version of the plan. But German Chancellor Friedrich Merz threw doubt on Trump&#39;s deadline, saying at an EU-Africa summit in Angola that discussions would be a &quot;lengthy, long-lasting process.&quot; A new version of a draft worked on in Geneva has not been published, but all sides agreed that any deal must &quot;uphold Ukraine&#39;s sovereignty.&quot; Countries supporting Kyiv &mdash; part of the &quot;coalition of the willing&quot; &mdash; are due to hold a video call on Tuesday following the Geneva talks. Zelensky said his country was at a &quot;critical moment,&quot; after last week&#39;s warning that Ukraine risked losing either its &quot;dignity&quot; or Washington as an ally. Russian President Vladimir Putin had welcomed the original US plan, saying it could be a basis for a deal. But in Ukraine&#39;s southern city of Zaporizhzhia, residents balked at the idea of ceding land to Russia. &quot;We cannot give up any territory. What did our soldiers give their lives for? How will we look their families in the eye?&quot; asked Tetiana, a worker at a local metal firm. &quot;I understand that it is very difficult for our boys, but give them an inch, and they will take a mile.&quot; Trump optimistic&nbsp;In Washington, Trump appeared hopeful of a breakthrough. &quot;Don&#39;t believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening,&quot; Trump said on social media. In Geneva on Sunday, the Ukrainian delegation said a new draft of the plan &quot;already reflects most of Ukraine&#39;s key priorities.&quot; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said &quot;tremendous&quot; progress had been made at the talks. &quot;I honestly believe we&#39;ll get there,&quot; Rubio said, adding: &quot;Obviously, the Russians get a vote.&quot; Moscow has captured and occupies swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine, and claims to have annexed five Ukrainian regions, including Crimea, which it seized in 2014. The Kremlin is seeking recognition of the territories it occupies and wants Kyiv to pull out of the part of the Donetsk region that remains under its control &mdash; demands deemed unacceptable by Ukraine.

Official says Washington did not directly threaten to cut off aid if Kyiv rejected its proposals, but that Ukraine understands this was a distinct possibility.

US pressed Ukraine to accept deal at Geneva talks, official says

KYIV: A Russian drone strike on the major Ukrainian city of Kharkiv killed four people and wounded 17 on Sunday, its mayor said. The attack came as US, Ukrainian and European officials were in Geneva to discuss a proposal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion. &quot;At this moment, 17 people are known to have been wounded. Four people have died,&quot; mayor Igor Terekhov said, reporting the evening strike in a message on Telegram. &quot;The circumstances are truly horrible when, despite the negotiations, Russian troops are attacking civilian objects, civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, when people are dying &mdash; this is horror,&quot; Terekhov said. Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, described the attack as &quot;massive.&quot; The emergency services said the drone strike on two districts of Kharkiv had caused fires and the destruction of buildings. &quot;Three residential buildings and an infrastructure facility were on fire,&quot; it said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the head of Ukraine&#39;s delegation, Andriy Yermak, said talks in Geneva on Sunday had achieved progress. US President Donald Trump has given Ukraine until November 27 to approve his controversial plan to end the conflict. But Kyiv is seeking changes to a draft that accepts a range of Russia&#39;s hardline demands, with the 28-point plan requiring the invaded country to cede territory, cut its military and pledge never to join NATO.&nbsp;

Attack comes as US, Ukrainian and European officials are in Geneva to discuss a proposal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine, which began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion.

Russian attack kills four, wounds 17 in Kharkiv: mayor

GENEVA: Washington signaled room for negotiation on a US plan to end the Ukraine war that has drawn pushback from Kyiv, its allies and US lawmakers ahead of Sunday talks on the proposal in Switzerland. Trump has given Ukraine until November 27 to approve the plan to end the nearly four-year conflict, but Kyiv is seeking changes to a draft that accepts some of Russia&#39;s hardline demands. Washington insisted Saturday the proposal was official US policy, denying claims by a group of US senators that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told them the document was a Russian &quot;wish list.&quot; The 28-point plan would require the invaded country to cede territory, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO. Trump told reporters Saturday it was not his final offer and he hoped to stop the fighting &quot;one way or the other.&quot; Trump&#39;s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, speaking on Fox News, described the plan as &quot;a work in progress.&quot; Ukraine&#39;s European allies, who were not included in drafting the proposal, said the plan requires &quot;additional work&quot; as they scrambled at the G20 summit in South Africa to come up with a counter-offer to strengthen Kyiv&#39;s position. A US official told AFP that Rubio and diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff would land in Geneva on Sunday for the talks and that US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll had already arrived after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. &quot;The peace proposal was authored by the US,&quot; Rubio wrote on social media late Saturday. &quot;It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine.&quot; &#39;Authored by the US&#39;Washington insisted Saturday that its Ukraine proposal is indeed official US policy. Rubio asserted the proposal &quot;was authored by the US.&quot; &quot;It is offered as a strong framework for ongoing negotiations. It is based on input from the Russian side. But it is also based on previous and ongoing input from Ukraine,&quot; he said Saturday. &#39;Additional work&#39;Ukraine&#39;s European allies, who were not included in drafting the agreement, said the plan requires &quot;additional work&quot; as they scrambled at the G20 summit in South Africa to come up with a counter-offer to strengthen Kyiv&#39;s positions. A US official told AFP that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and diplomatic envoy Steve Witkoff were scheduled to arrive in Geneva on Sunday for the talks, and that US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll had already arrived there after meeting with Zelensky in Kyiv. &quot;We will have an informal pre-meeting tonight for dinner&quot; with Ukrainian delegates, the US official said on Saturday. Zelensky&#39;s decree said the negotiations would include &quot;representatives of the Russian Federation&quot; but there was no immediate confirmation from Russia whether it would join the talks. Russian &#39;representatives&#39; expectedUkraine&#39;s President Volodymyr Zelensky said &quot;consultations will take place with partners regarding the steps needed to end the war,&quot; after issuing a decree naming Ukraine&#39;s delegation for the talks, led by his top aide Andriy Yermak. &quot;Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine&#39;s national interests and what is necessary to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion&quot;, having annexed Crimea in 2014 and mounted a full-scale offensive in 2022, he said. Britain&#39;s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the senior officials would meet in Geneva &quot;to take things further forward&quot;, stressing the importance of solid &quot;security guarantees&quot; for Ukraine under any settlement. &quot;The focus very much now is on Geneva tomorrow and whether we can make progress tomorrow morning,&quot; he told the media on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg. Starmer said his national security adviser Jonathan Powell would be in Geneva on Sunday. Italian diplomatic sources said their country was sending the prime minister&#39;s national security advisor Fabrizio Saggio. Security officials from the EU, France and Germany will also attend, French President Emmanuel Macron told a news conference at the G20. West says plan needs more &#39;work&#39;Western leaders at the G20 summit said Saturday that the US plan was &quot;a basis which will require additional work&quot;. &quot;We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine&#39;s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack,&quot; the leaders of key European countries as well as Canada and Japan said in a joint statement. Macron said the plan contained points that had to be more broadly discussed as they concerned European allies, such as Ukraine&#39;s NATO ties and Russian frozen assets held in the EU. &quot;We all want peace and we are agreed. We want the peace to be strong and lasting,&quot; he said, insisting a settlement must &quot;take into account the security of all Europeans&quot;. The European delegates in Geneva would aim &quot;to put substance into the discussions and to reconcile all viewpoints&quot;, he said. Zelensky said Friday in an address to the nation that Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, adding that he would propose &quot;alternatives&quot; to Trump&#39;s proposal. &quot;The pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,&quot; Zelensky said, referring to a possible break with Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the blueprint could &quot;lay the foundation&quot; for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.

Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, speaking on Fox News, described the plan as "a work in progress."

Ukraine, US head for talks on Trump's plan to end war

KYIV: Ukraine and its European allies scrambled Saturday to come up with counter-proposals after US President Donald Trump gave Kyiv a tight deadline to approve a deal to end the war that accepts some of Russia&#39;s hardline demands.&nbsp;President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed back against the 28-point US plan. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has welcomed the proposal, which would force Ukraine to give up land, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO.&nbsp;French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Saturday on the the sidelines of a G20 summit in South Africa, the French presidency said.&nbsp;The huddle was held ahead of a wider meeting on the same topic that would include other European leaders, the presidency said.&nbsp;Starmer had earlier said the aim was to &quot;look at how we can strengthen this plan for the next phase of negotiations&quot;.&nbsp;European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the allies should make it clear &quot;that there should be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.&quot;&nbsp;US Vice President JD Vance reacted to the criticism of the plan, saying it &quot;either misunderstands the framework or misstates some critical reality on the ground.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;There is a fantasy that if we just give more money, more weapons, or more sanctions, victory is at hand,&quot; he added.&nbsp;Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, Zelensky said in an address to the nation, adding that he would propose alternatives to Trump&#39;s proposal.&nbsp;A top Ukrainian official on Saturday said Kyiv would launch talks with the US in Switzerland to discuss ways to end the war. The delegation will be led by Zelensky&#39;s top aide Andriy Yermak.&nbsp;Better equipped and larger in numbers, the Russian army is slowly but steadily gaining ground across the lengthy front line.&nbsp;Ukrainians were meanwhile facing one of the toughest winters since the war began, as Moscow carried out a brutal bombing campaign against energy infrastructure.&nbsp;This comes as a sweeping corruption probe that unveiled graft in the energy sector was unravelling in Kyiv, sparking public outcry.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump has given Ukraine less than a week to sign. Zelensky pledged to work to ensure any deal would not &quot;betray&quot; Ukraine&#39;s interests, acknowledging he risked losing Washington as an ally.

Ukraine and its European partners hurried to prepare alternative proposals after US President Donald Trump set a strict deadline for Kyiv to accept a peace deal including some of Russia's tough conditions.

Ukraine, Europe scramble to respond to US plan to end war

KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday pushed back against a US plan to end the war in Ukraine, while Russian leader Vladimir Putin welcomed the proposal that includes many of his hardline demands. With President Donald Trump giving Ukraine less than a week to sign, Zelensky pledged to work to ensure any deal would not &quot;betray&quot; Ukraine&#39;s interests, while acknowledging he risked losing Washington as an ally. Putin said the blueprint could &quot;lay the foundation&quot; for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations. Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, Zelensky said in an address to the nation, adding that he would propose alternatives to Trump&#39;s 28-point plan. Kyiv and its European allies were startled by the proposal &mdash; which would force Ukraine to give up land, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO. Russia, meanwhile, would gain territory, be reintegrated into the global economy and rejoin the G8, under a draft of the plan, seen by AFP. &#39;He&#39;ll have to like it&#39; &quot;Ukraine and its European allies are still living under illusions and dreaming of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield,&quot; Putin said in a televised meeting with his security council. If Kyiv walks away, Russia&#39;s claimed recent capture of Ukrainian city Kupiansk &quot;will inevitably be repeated in other key areas of the front line,&quot; Putin added. The Ukrainian army says Kupiansk remains under Kyiv&#39;s control. Zelensky on Friday recalled how he marshalled Kyiv&#39;s response to the Russian invasion in February 2022, saying &quot;we did not betray Ukraine then, we will not do so now.&quot; &quot;I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will propose alternatives,&quot; he added. Trump said at the White House that next Thursday was an &quot;appropriate time&quot; to set for Zelensky to agree a deal, but he indicated it could be flexible. &quot;He&#39;ll have to like it, and if he doesn&#39;t like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House. &quot;At some point he&#39;s going to have to accept something.&quot; Zelensky said after talks with US Vice President JD Vance that Ukraine continues to &quot;respect&quot; Trump&#39;s desire to end the war. He also held an emergency call with the German, French and British leaders as Europe, cut out of the process, scrambled to respond. Army cuts The Ukrainian leader plans to speak directly to Trump soon, his office has said. The US plan envisages recognizing territories controlled by Moscow as &quot;de-facto&quot; Russian, with Kyiv pulling troops out of parts of the Donetsk region. Kyiv would also cap its army at 600,000, rule out joining NATO and have no NATO troops deployed to its territory. In return, Ukraine would get unspecified &quot;reliable security guarantees&quot; and a fund for reconstruction using some Russia assets frozen in foreign accounts. &quot;Right now is one of the most difficult moments in our history,&quot; Zelensky said in his address. &quot;The pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,&quot; he said, warning of a break with Washington. In a call with Zelensky, key allies Britain, France and Germany stressed their &quot;unwavering and full support for Ukraine on the path to a lasting and just peace,&quot; said a joint statement after the talks. The United States bypassed Europe with the plan, and many European governments were unsettled by the prospect of the war ending on Moscow&#39;s terms. &#39;Flexibility&#39;&nbsp;Putin, who treated Trump&#39;s proposal more favorably, said an early version of the plan was discussed with the US president even before they met in Alaska on August 15. There, Putin told Trump that Russia was ready &quot;to show flexibility&quot; in resolving the conflict, without elaborating how, according to the Kremlin chief&#39;s televised meeting. Putin added that Russia is ready for detailed discussion of Trump&#39;s plan. Otherwise, it will continue the war. Trump&#39;s administration has previously rejected accusations that it worked on the proposal with Moscow. The White House gave Zelensky until November 27, when the United States celebrates Thanksgiving, to decide on what it called a &quot;good plan&quot; for Russia and Ukraine. In Kyiv, people were divided over whether Ukraine should engage with the proposal and negotiate a better position, or reject it as a capitulation. Yanina, a 41-year-old seamstress, predicted the proposal will lead nowhere and the war will continue. &quot;Neither us nor Russia will make concessions,&quot; she said.

Putin says blueprint can "lay the foundation" for a final peace settlement, but threatens more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.

Zelensky says US plan means Ukraine loses 'dignity' — or an ally

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan told the UN Security Council (UNSC) that years of fighting in Ukraine have proven there is no military solution, urging all sides to pursue restraint, ceasefire, and a renewed commitment to dialogue and diplomacy. &ldquo;Pakistan has stated that the continued fighting in Ukraine over the years has made it amply clear to all the stakeholders that there is no military solution to the conflict,&rdquo; said a press release shared by Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the UN on its X account on Friday. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1991644595986526420&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=dd0b837670ac8363ea19a5b5da4113d92dc99ca5&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;Pakistan again reiterated its call for all parties to demonstrate restraint, take meaningful strides towards de-escalation, and work earnestly towards a ceasefire through a sustained and meaningful dialogue process,&rdquo; it said. &quot;Delivering the national statement in the UNSC on the situation in Ukraine, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the UN, regretted that the diplomatic momentum generated at the start of the year by the adoption of UNSCR 2774 &ndash; which perhaps could have been more effective if it were endorsed unanimously, has yet to bear fruit,&rdquo; the press release said. &lsquo;Push for peace&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We welcome the renewed push for peace, including mediation efforts by T&uuml;rkiye and Qatar. A solution that is acceptable to all relevant parties can silence the guns and ensure lasting peace,&rdquo; he said. He said that given the complex historical context and the intricate nature of the Ukraine conflict, Pakistan believes that the path forward should be guided by wisdom and dialogue rather than continued hostilities and confrontation. Ambassador Iftikhar urged all parties to demonstrate political will, engage in a meaningful, structured, and result-oriented dialogue that addresses the security concerns of all sides; most importantly, it is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter and international law; and respects the relevant multilateral agreements, the press release said. &ldquo;A ceasefire is the first logical and necessary step in this process,&rdquo; he maintained. &lsquo;Dialogue and diplomacy&rsquo;&nbsp;He said that Pakistan is a firm believer in the power of dialogue and diplomacy and will continue to support all endeavors aimed at resolving the issue peacefully and in a just, comprehensive, and durable manner. He said that Pakistan is deeply perturbed by the expansion of hostilities, targeting of civilians and civil infrastructure, and the exponentially mounting humanitarian toll. &ldquo;Protection of civilian lives and infrastructure should remain paramount. We reiterate the call for upholding the principles of International humanitarian law,&rdquo; he added.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan reiterates ‘call for all parties to demonstrate restraint, take meaningful strides towards de-escalation, and work earnestly towards a ceasefire’; welcomes the ‘renewed push for peace, including mediation efforts by Türkiye and Qatar.’

Dialogue, diplomacy can help end Russia-Ukraine war: Pakistan tells UNSC

WASHINGTON: A US plan backed by President Donald Trump to end Russia&#39;s war in Ukraine is &quot;good&quot; for both sides, the White House said on Thursday, rejecting concerns that it echoes many of Moscow&#39;s demands. Trump&#39;s special envoy Steve Witkoff and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been &quot;quietly&quot; working on the plan for a month, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. &quot;It&#39;s ongoing and it&#39;s in flux, but the president supports this plan. It&#39;s a good plan for both Russia and Ukraine, and we believe that it should be acceptable to both sides,&quot; she told a briefing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&#39;s office said he expected to discuss the points with Trump in the coming days. The comments came as Russia claimed to have recaptured the key city of Kupiansk in eastern Ukraine, and as President Vladimir Putin visited an army command post to speak with officers about the situation at the front. The Ukrainian army denied losing Kupiansk, which Ukraine lost to Russia the day it launched its invasion in 2022, then wrested back. Here&#39;s what we know about the US plan: TerritoryDetails of the plan, reported to contain 28 points, have been widely covered by Western media, and a senior source familiar with the matter also shared some aspects with AFP. What is known suggests that Ukraine is being asked to concede to Russia&#39;s key demands, while receiving very little in return.&nbsp; On territory, the plan calls for the &quot;recognition of Crimea and other regions that the Russians have taken,&quot; the source said. Russia&#39;s army occupies around a fifth of the country &mdash; much of it ravaged by years of fighting. The Kremlin claims to have annexed five Ukrainian regions &mdash; Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson in 2022, and Crimea in 2014. Moscow has previously demanded that Ukraine completely withdraw its troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, in exchange for freezing the front line in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Ukraine has said it will never recognize Russian control over its land, but has conceded it might be forced to get it back through diplomatic means. Ceding territory in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions that Ukraine still controls could leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks by Russia. &quot;It is a matter of our country&#39;s survival,&quot; Zelensky said recently. Army and weapons&nbsp;The plan calls for Ukraine to reduce its army to 400,000 personnel, cutting its military by more than half, the same source told AFP. Kyiv would also be required to give up all long-range weapons, the source added. Other media reports said there would be a complete ban on Western troops being deployed to Ukraine. That fits with previous Russian demands that have been made public and goes against what Ukraine has cast as red lines. The proposal reportedly includes vague provisions for Ukraine to negotiate security guarantees with the United States and Europe. Ukraine wants concrete Western-backed assurances, ideally in the form of NATO membership or a similar defense guarantee and a European peacekeeping force, to prevent Russia from invading again. Whose plan?&nbsp;The contents of the plan have fueled suggestions that Russia was involved in drafting it. US media outlet Axios reported the Trump administration had drawn it up in secret consultation with Moscow. &quot;It seems that the Russians proposed this to the Americans, they accepted it,&quot; the senior source told AFP. &quot;An important nuance is that we don&#39;t understand whether this is really Trump&#39;s story or his entourage&#39;s,&quot; the official added. After the plans were first reported, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, &quot;A durable peace will require both sides to agree to difficult but necessary concessions.&quot; Since returning to the White House, Trump&#39;s position on the Ukraine war has shifted dramatically back and forth. Over 2025, he has gone from calling Zelensky a &quot;dictator&quot; to urging Kyiv to try to reclaim all the land captured by Russia and hitting Moscow with sanctions. Invigorating diplomacy?&nbsp;Confirming on Thursday that it had received the plan, Ukraine said the United States had told it the proposal &quot;could invigorate diplomacy.&quot; The statement from Zelensky&#39;s office did not contain details or an assessment of the proposal, saying only that it had agreed with Washington &quot;to ensure a dignified end to the war.&quot; The Ukrainian leader met senior US army officials in Kyiv on Thursday. But that meeting took place a day after Trump envoy Witkoff skipped a meeting with Zelensky in Turkey, in a blow to Kyiv&#39;s hopes of convincing Washington to pressure Russia to halt its invasion. The Kremlin said it had nothing to say when asked about reports on the plan. The EU&#39;s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said any peace settlement must have the agreement of both Kyiv and Brussels. &quot;We have to understand that in this war, there is one aggressor and one victim. So, we haven&#39;t heard of any concessions on the Russian side,&quot; she added.

Trump's special envoy, the US Secretary of State, quietly working on the plan for a month; Ukrainian President Zelensky says he expects to discuss the points with Trump in the coming days.

US plan 'good' for Russia, Ukraine: White House

KYIV: The United States has presented a plan to Ukraine with a list of sweeping concessions Kyiv could make to potentially end the war with Russia, a proposal that appears to echo many of Moscow&#39;s maximalist demands.&nbsp;Here&#39;s what we know about it: Territory&nbsp;Details of the plan, shared with AFP by a senior source familiar with the matter, suggest Ukraine is being asked to give in to some of Russia&#39;s key demands -- including concessions Kyiv has previously ruled out as tantamount to capitulation.&nbsp;At the same time, the source told AFP it was &quot;unclear&quot; what commitments Russia would make in return.&nbsp;On territory, the plan calls for the &quot;recognition of Crimea and other regions that the Russians have taken&quot;, the source said.&nbsp;Russia&#39;s army occupies around a fifth of the country -- much of it ravaged by years of fighting.&nbsp;In 2022, the Kremlin annexed four Ukrainian regions -- Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson -- despite not having full control over them.&nbsp;Russia also annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.&nbsp;Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously demanded Ukraine completely withdraw its troops from Donetsk and Lugansk, and offered to freeze the front line in the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, according to Turkey&#39;s foreign minister, who mediated three rounds of peace talks earlier this year.&nbsp;Ukraine has said it will never recognise Russian control over its land, but has conceded it might be forced to get it back through diplomatic means.&nbsp;Ceding territory in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions that Ukraine still controls could leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack by Russia.&nbsp;&quot;It is a matter of our country&#39;s survival,&quot; Zelensky said recently.&nbsp;&nbsp;Army and weaponsThe plan calls for Ukraine to reduce its army to 400,000 personnel, cutting its military by more than half, the same source told AFP.&nbsp;Kyiv would also be required to give up all long-range weapons.&nbsp;That fits with other Russian demands put to Ukraine at talks in Istanbul earlier this year when Moscow called for a reduction in troop numbers, a ban on mobilisation and a halt to the flow of Western weapons.&nbsp;Russia has also repeatedly said it will not tolerate any NATO troops on Ukrainian soil.&nbsp;By contrast, Ukraine wants concrete Western-backed security guarantees, including a European peacekeeping force, to prevent Russia from re-invading in the future.&nbsp;Whose plan?US media outlet Axios reported the plan had been drawn up by the Trump administration in secret consultation with Russia.&nbsp;Many elements appear to echo Moscow&#39;s demands for how the conflict should end.&nbsp;&quot;It seems that the Russians proposed this to the Americans, they accepted it,&quot; the senior source told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;An important nuance is that we don&#39;t understand whether this is really Trump&#39;s story&quot; or &quot;his entourage&#39;s&quot;, the official added.&nbsp;Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump&#39;s position on the Ukraine war has shifted dramatically back and forth.&nbsp;Over 2025, he has gone from calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a &quot;dictator&quot; to urging Kyiv to try to reclaim all the land captured by Russia and hitting Moscow with sanctions.&nbsp;The source said it was also &quot;unclear&quot; from the plan what commitments or concessions Moscow would make in return.&nbsp;&nbsp;Reactions&nbsp;There has been no official reaction to the plan in Kyiv. The Kremlin said it had nothing to say when asked about the reports.&nbsp;The EU&#39;s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said any peace settlement must have the agreement of both Kyiv and Brussels.&nbsp;&quot;For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board,&quot; Kallas told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.&nbsp;&quot;We have to understand that in this war, there is one aggressor and one victim. So we haven&#39;t heard of any concessions on the Russian side,&quot; she added.

A reported US plan proposes major Ukrainian concessions, including recognizing Russian-held territories, halving its army, and surrendering long-range weapons, despite unclear Russian commitments, prompting concern as Kyiv, the EU, and others note the absence of reciprocal concessions from Moscow.

The US plan for ending the Ukraine war: What do we know?

TERNOPIL: A new US peace proposal would see Kyiv ceding land and more than halving its army, a source told AFP on Wednesday, as a Russian strike in the west of Ukraine killed 26 people, including three children. The proposal appears to repeat Russia&#39;s maximalist terms to end the war &mdash; demands consistently rejected by Ukraine as tantamount to capitulation. The surprise initiative comes as Russian missiles hit the city of Ternopil, far from the front line, in one of the deadliest attacks on western Ukraine since the invasion began in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&#39;s efforts to re-engage US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration in the peace process during a visit to Turkey fell flat after an American envoy thought to be joining him did not make the trip. The draft US peace proposal provides for &quot;recognition of Crimea and other regions that the Russians have taken&quot; and &quot;reduction of the army to 400,000 personnel,&quot; a source familiar with it, who did not wish to be identified, told AFP. It would also see Ukraine giving up all long-range weapons. &quot;An important nuance is that we don&#39;t understand whether this is really Trump&#39;s story or his entourage&#39;s,&quot; the official added. According to the source, it was &quot;unclear&quot; what Russia was supposed to do in return. At the same time, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll arrived in Kyiv, leading a high-profile Pentagon delegation to meet Ukrainian officials and explore ways to end the conflict, US broadcaster CBS News reported, citing the US military. Driscoll met Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmygal on Wednesday. Ukraine&#39;s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrsky, said he had held a &quot;productive&quot; meeting with the US delegation. &quot;I once again stressed that reinforcing the protection of Ukraine&rsquo;s airspace, expanding our long-range strike capabilities against enemy military targets, and maintaining and stabilizing the front line will undermine the offensive potential of the adversary,&quot; he said in social media posts. American media outlet Axios earlier reported Moscow and Washington had been working on a secret plan to end the almost four-year war. The Kremlin declined to comment on the report, later saying there was nothing new to report on the progress of the peace settlement. AFP has contacted the White House for comment. Russia now occupies around a fifth of Ukrainian territory, much of it ravaged by fighting. &#39;Too late&#39;&nbsp;In Ternopil, AFP saw dozens of rescuers searching through rubble after cruise missiles slammed into apartment blocks, using cranes to reach the destroyed building. Thick grey smoke engulfed the streets just after explosions were heard at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT). City officials reported that the fires had caused chlorine levels in the air to spike to six times the norm and called on Ternopil&#39;s 200,000 residents to stay home and close their windows. Wrapped in a pink blanket, 46-year-old Oksana waited for news of her 20-year-old son, Bohdan. &quot;I went to work, and my son stayed at home. I called him from the minibus and said, &#39;Bohdan, get dressed and come out,&#39;&quot; she said. &quot;He said: &#39;Mum, don&#39;t worry, everything will be fine.&#39; But it was too late,&quot; she told AFP. Her sister, Natalia Bachinska, said the family lived on the ninth floor. &quot;Their apartment is completely gone ... He still has not been found.&quot; The state emergency service said 26 people, including three children, were killed, and another 92 people, including 18 children, were wounded. &quot;These were people who were simply at home, peacefully sleeping,&quot; Zelensky said. UN human rights chief Volker Turk said he was &quot;appalled&quot; by the number of civilian casualties in the attack. &quot;The horror of powerful long-range missiles combined with waves of drones increasingly being used by Russian forces was again painfully laid bare in Ukraine this morning,&quot; Turk said in a statement. &quot;This is how Russia&#39;s &#39;peace plans&#39; look in reality,&quot; said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga. Winter looming&nbsp;The strike on Ternopil came as Russia batters Ukraine&#39;s energy grid ahead of winter and as Kyiv&#39;s stretched troops are under pressure on the front line. Kyiv had pitched Zelensky&#39;s unexpected visit to Turkey as part of efforts to re-engage the United States in ending the war. But Trump&#39;s envoy, Steve Witkoff, did not travel after Ukraine said he was expected to join the talks. And there were no Russian officials present. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the warring sides to join talks in Istanbul, where three rounds of negotiations this year have yielded only prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of killed soldiers&#39; bodies. Zelensky said he wanted to resume POW swaps with Russia by the end of the year. But Ukraine&#39;s main hope is that Washington can push Russia to the negotiating table, including by imposing sanctions. On the battlefield, Russian troops are making slow but steady advances, and Moscow insists it will carry on fighting if Ukraine does not cave to its demands.

Ukraine's main hope is that Washington can push Russia to the negotiating table, including by imposing sanctions; on the battlefield, Russian troops are making slow but steady advances, Moscow insists it will carry on fighting if Ukraine does not cave to its demands.

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