EU defies Trump’s Ukraine peace deal
Brussels has put forward its own conditions for an end to hostilities
FILE PHOTO: the EU Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen. © Global Look Press / Michael Kappeler
The EU has reportedly rejected the Ukraine peace deal drafted by the White House, putting forward its own set of conditions for a potential agreement.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement on Sunday as US officials were discussing Washington’s proposal with EU and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva, Switzerland.
The US had submitted its plan to both Moscow and Kiev earlier this week. The contents of the document have not been officially disclosed to the public.
Media outlets have claimed that, among other things, it calls upon Kiev to withdraw troops from the part of Russia’s Donbass it still controls, downsize its military, and shelve its NATO aspirations in exchange for Western security guarantees.
In a statement published on X, von der Leyen specifically rejected all those conditions. “We have agreed on the main elements necessary for a just and lasting peace and Ukraine's sovereignty,” she stated, adding that Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed “by force” and that no limitations can be placed on Kiev’s military.
Either the difficult 28 points or a very hard winter – Zelensky
The European Commission president also demanded that the EU play a central role “in securing peace for Ukraine” and that Kiev be allowed to join it.
On Saturday, Bloomberg reported that the EU was seeking to essentially rewrite the US plan by disguising major changes to it as “constructive updates.” The bloc was also reportedly trying to “buy Ukraine more time” and postpone the American deadline.
Trump had said earlier that Kiev has to accept the proposal by Thursday, November 27. Vladimir Zelensky said on Friday that Ukraine was facing a choice between accepting “28 difficult points” or the risk of losing its “key partner” and enduring a “hard winter.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow had received the American plan, adding that it could serve as “the basis of a final peace settlement” but has yet to be discussed “in detail.”