JOHANNESBURG: European and other Western leaders said on Saturday a US peace plan was a basis for talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine but needed “additional work”, part of Western efforts to eke out a better deal for Kyiv before a Thursday (Nov 27)deadline.

Meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, European and other Western leaders scrambled to come up with a coordinated response to US President Donald Trump’s demand for Ukraine to accept his 28-point peace plan with Russia by Thursday.

Trump said in brief remarks later that his proposal was not his final offer, signalling potential room for adjustments as Ukraine and its European allies stressed that the plan could serve as a foundation for negotiations but required changes.

The European and other Western leaders agreed national security advisers from the E3 — France, Britain and Germany — would meet European Union, U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Geneva on Sunday for further discussions. Italy would also send an official, diplomatic sources said.

The US plan, which endorses key Russian demands, was met with measured criticism in many European capitals, with leaders trying to balance praise for Trump for trying to end the fighting with recognition that some of the terms in his proposal are unpalatable for Kyiv.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2025