Two important messages sent by Marco Rubio about the new peace plan drawn by the US and Ukraine in Geneva

There is no longer a deadline of next Thursday, but there is one major hurdle in sight: The plan broadly agreed to by Washington and Kiev must now also be approved by Moscow, the US secretary of state explained, according to Reuters and the Kyiv Post.

After a long and complicated day of negotiations in Geneva, the United States and Ukraine said they had reached an agreement on the outlines of a new “peace framework” — one that the White House said would “fully respect” Ukraine's sovereignty and could form the backbone of a future deal to end the Russian invasion.

However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized two important things. First of all, there is no longer a Thanksgiving deadline.

He repeatedly insisted on that point — “we need more time” — a notable shift for an administration that had previously treated Thursday as an ultimatum.

Second, the plan will ultimately have to be approved by Russia, and that may be the most difficult step. ABC reported that US and Russian officials could meet soon – although it's unclear exactly when.

“We need a little more time”

The joint statement released by the White House – short, cautious and clearly worded so as not to scare either side – said US and Ukrainian negotiators had “extremely productive” talks and agreed that any deal must “fully respect Ukraine's sovereignty” and lead to a “just and lasting peace”.

Both sides, the statement said, have developed an updated “peace framework” and will complete “intensive work on joint proposals in the coming days.”

The language used was surprisingly aligned with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's public red lines. But Rubio did not provide details on the new plan.

As reporters pressed him with specific questions — remaining sticking points, red lines, potential concessions for both sides — the top U.S. diplomat repeatedly avoided answering, saying the issues were “delicate,” “evolving” and, in particular, not yet ready to be made public.

His main message: There will be no deadline on Thursday.

“We'd like it to be Thursday,” Rubio said. “Whether it's Thursday, Friday, Wednesday, Monday or next week – we want it to be as soon as possible … but we need a little more time,” he added.

This is a notable departure from previous US rhetoric, which held out the prospect of a breakthrough by Thanksgiving.

Several European officials in Geneva privately described the deadline as political rather than diplomatic — a motivating factor for negotiators rather than a firm limit — but Rubio's wording made it clear that the White House no longer pretends the timeline can force an outcome, the Kyiv Post writes.

The biggest problem

More importantly, Rubio acknowledged that even if the U.S. and Ukraine finalize their part of the framework agreement, the real battle lies ahead: getting Russia's consent.

“The Russians have the right to vote here,” he said flatly. “Whatever we propose has to be presented to them. They have to agree for the deal to work,” Rubio said.

Asked what will happen when the Ukrainians and Americans hand over the project to the Russians, the American diplomat paused.

“That's another part of the equation,” he said. “They have to agree to this for it to work,” he then added. .

A Western diplomat briefed on Sunday's talks described the situation to the Kyiv Post: Today's progress is real but could prove ephemeral by the time it reaches the Kremlin.

A US official told ABC News that there are plans for the US delegation to hold a separate meeting with the Russian delegation. No details were provided on where the meeting with the Russians would take place.