London: European leaders are seeking a deal with US President Donald Trump to amend his peace plan for Ukraine after warning that it would leave the war-torn country exposed by scaling back its army and forcing it to cede land to Russia.
The strong objections will shape talks in Switzerland to consider the draft plan after a backlash in Europe over terms that would end economic sanctions on Russia and give it control of large parts of eastern Ukraine.
The leaders of the ‘E3 Nations’, pictured with Zelensky in September, have led foreign efforts to broker peace in Ukraine.Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
Ten leaders from the European Union joined counterparts from the UK, Japan and Canada in warning against key parts of the peace proposal by declaring it needed “additional work” and could not work without Ukrainian approval.
While they welcomed the draft and said it included elements that would be essential for peace, they did not single out any positive features and instead named two key areas of concern.
“We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force,” said the leaders from the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Canada, Japan and the UK.
“We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”
Trump’s draft plan asks Ukraine to give up land in the Donbas region along its border with Russia, even though some of this territory is held by Ukrainian forces.
It also requires the Ukrainian defence forces to be capped at 600,000 – down from an estimated 900,000 – and that it give up the use of long-range missiles and other weapons that could reach Russian targets.
In return for peace, Russia would be given the entire Donbas region and Crimea, freed from Western sanctions and reintroduced into the G7, making it the G8 once again and restoring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the club of major economies.
