European leaders pushed back Saturday on a US proposal, seen as widely favorable to Moscow, to halt the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine — a day ahead of a high-level meeting in Geneva where they hope to rework the parameters of the deal.
“Wars cannot be ended by major powers over the heads of the countries affected,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz SAID at the G20 summit in South Africa. “We are still quite a way from a good outcome for everyone.”
The leaders of France, Germany and the UK huddled on the sidelines of the summit to discuss ways to support Kyiv and rewrite portions of the peace plan, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday his country faced a choice of either losing its dignity and freedom if it accepted the plan — or Washington’s backing if it turned it down.
“We must ensure that nowhere in Europe or the world does the principle prevail that crimes against people and humanity can be rewarded,” Zelensky said in a video address shared on X Saturday.
The plan, devised by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, sees Ukraine surrendering the entirety of its Donbas region including territory not controlled by Moscow, pledging never to join NATO and shrinking its military by a third.
President Trump has given Zelensky until a Thanksgiving deadline to accept the framework of the deal.
But when speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, Trump said the US proposal was not his “final offer,” though he warned his patience was running thin, telling The Post if Zelensky turns down the plan, “then he can continue to fight his little heart out.”
The plan, however, has also faced sharp criticism at home.
“Putin has spent the entire year trying to play President Trump for a fool,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) wrote on X. “Rewarding Russian butchery would be disastrous to America’s interests.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a strong advocate for Ukraine, said although there were good ideas in the peace plan — it is also contained several areas that “are very problematic.”
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“We must all remember that how this war ends is being closely watched and cannot entice future aggression by others,” he said.
Ukrainian officials, bolstered by representatives from France, Germany and the UK, will join a US delegation, in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that also includes Witkoff and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, Axios reported.
The parties hope to further negotiate an acceptable end to the war that has now dragged on for nearly four years.
Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, indicated he didn’t think the US peace plan went far enough to his liking at a Security Council meeting in Moscow Friday, saying while Russia was “open” to achieving peace through diplomatic means, it was “happy” to continue pursuing its goals militarily.
The Kremlin is reportedly preparing to reject the plan in its current form.
“Trump is in a hurry, and Vladimir is not so much,” a source told Russian opposition outlet Verstka.
Additional reporting from Geoffrey Earle and Post Wires
