World leaders on Saturday expressed concern over a US-proposed peace plan for Ukraine, which they believe favors Russia, saying it requires “further elaboration” amid their efforts to develop a coordinated response to the initiative.
European powers were caught off guard by the plan, which contains significant concessions to Russia and was developed with virtually no input from Ukraine or Europe.
While welcoming the US efforts, the leaders highlighted “proposed restrictions on Ukraine’s armed forces” in the draft document as a Particular Area of Concern.
“We reiterate that the implementation of the provisions related to the European Union and related to NATO will require the consent of EU and NATO members, respectively,” the statement added.
The 28-point plan calls for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia, abandon its long-standing aspirations for NATO membership, and reduce the size of its army.
“The initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important components that will be necessary for a just and lasting peace,” the statement read. “We therefore believe that this draft is a foundation that will require additional work.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the country faces a choice: lose its dignity or vital US support, while Donald Trump gave Kyiv until Thursday to accept the plan.
However, Trump noted that the peace plan is not a final proposal for ending the war with Russia.
“No, this is not my final proposal,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday. “We would like to achieve peace. It should have happened much sooner.”
Ukraine’s allies met on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which the US boycotted, to discuss the proposal. They had to balance opposing the proposals with avoiding alienating the US president.
One of the statement’s authors, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, told reporters at the G20 that the war “can only end with Ukraine’s consent, as well as with our consent, European consent, because this is a war on the European continent.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the US proposal but noted that “much remains to be done on this plan.”
Starmer spoke with Trump and agreed to work on a peace proposal, Downing Street reported on Saturday.
He also spoke with Zelenskyy, whose conversation “covered many nuances of diplomatic work on planning the peace process,” the Ukrainian leader said.
The leaders of eight Nordic and Baltic countries held talks with Zelenskyy on Saturday.
“Decisions that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and bring greater security and stability to Ukraine and Europe have our full support. We will continue to arm Ukraine and strengthen Europe’s defenses to deter further Russian aggression,” the Nordic-Baltic Eight leaders said in a joint statement.
US-Ukraine Talks in Switzerland
Senior US and Ukrainian officials will meet Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss next steps to end the war, with one US official saying the goal was to refine the language before Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ambassador Steve Witkoff will be among those attending tomorrow’s talks, the official said.
A meeting between the Russian delegation and the US to discuss the proposed peace plan is also planned and “will take place soon,” the official said, but not in Geneva.
Zelenskyy confirmed upcoming discussions in Switzerland, announcing that he had signed a decree on the composition of the Ukrainian delegation. “Our representatives know how to defend Ukraine’s national interests and what is necessary to prevent Russia from launching a third invasion,” he said.
National security advisers from Britain, France, and Germany will meet with their Ukrainian and American counterparts in Geneva, according to a diplomatic source.
Separately, a European diplomat told CNN that any future agreement “cannot include recognition of the occupation. The line of contact must be the starting point.”
“There must be no abolition of the right to choose alliances, no restrictions on Ukraine’s armed forces, or the covert promotion of Russian demands for European security,” the diplomat stated.
A diplomat who is not directly involved in the planned talks in Switzerland but is familiar with the mood in the EU added that the “security guarantees” clause in the US proposal needs clarification.
Meanwhile, European Council President António Costa announced on Saturday that he had invited all 27 EU leaders to a “special meeting on Ukraine” on Monday, to be held on the sidelines of the EU summit.
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