Nine countries of the European Union (EU), together with the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and Japan, on Saturday expressed concern over the proposed restrictions on the Ukrainian army in the draft United States (U.S.) peace plan, saying that the document “requires additional work.”
In a joint statement on Ukraine, published on the margins of the G20 summit, the leaders welcomed the efforts of the U.S. to bring peace, emphasizing that the initial draft of the 28-point plan “contains important elements” that will be key for a just and lasting peace.
However, the leaders of Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway, Canada, and Japan, as well as the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, pointed out that the draft “requires additional work.”
“We are clear in the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned about the proposed restrictions for the armed forces of Ukraine, which would leave the country vulnerable to future attacks,” the statement says.
The leaders also repeated that the implementation of elements concerning the EU and NATO “would require the consent” of the member states of those organizations.
The draft peace plan in question, according to reports, foresees that Ukraine hand over additional territories to Russia, limit the size of its army, and formally abandon its aspirations for NATO membership.
U.S. President Donald Trump gave his Ukrainian colleague Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline until Thursday, November 27th, to respond.
Zelenskyy says he is facing a difficult choice – “losing our dignity or risking losing our key partner.”
Russia launched its “special military operation” in February 2022, claiming that it is a matter of the “denazification” and demilitarization of Ukraine. In addition to limiting the Ukrainian army and banning NATO entry, Moscow wants the Russian language to receive official status in Ukraine.
