European and other Western leaders on Saturday said a US peace plan was a basis for talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine, but needed "additional work" in order to eke out a better deal for Kyiv before a Thursday deadline.

Meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in South Africa, 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.

The 28-point blueprint drawn up by the US to end the nearly four-year war sparked alarm in Kyiv and European capitals, with Zelensky saying his country could face a stark choice between standing up for its sovereign rights and preserving the American support it needs.

"The initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace," said the leaders of the EU, Germany, France, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland, Italy, Japan and Norway.

"We believe therefore that the draft is a basis which will require additional work," they said in a statement.

French President Emmanuel Macron also said the US peace plan for Ukraine “requires broader consultation” because “it stipulates many things involving Europeans,” like Russia's frozen assets and Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

Europe's security issues must also be taken into account, Macron said, adding: “We want a robust and lasting peace."

Merz and Macron said that envoys from Germany, France, the UK and the EU will join Ukrainian negotiators as they meet a US delegation in Geneva on Sunday to discuss Washington's proposal.

Zelensky confirmed the meeting on Saturday, after Trump set a deadline for Kyiv to respond to the plan by next Thursday .

Nine Ukrainian officials are to take part in the talks, including Zelensky’s chief of staff Andrii Yermak and top envoy Rustem Umerov, according to a statement posted on the Ukrainian presidency's website, which also stated that the negotiators are empowered to deal directly with Russia. (AP/Reuters)