A European proposal meant to rival President Trump’s 28-point peace plan calls for Ukraine to keep its military forces and leaves the door open for the country to join NATO, according to leaked details.
The proposal, which was discussed on Sunday during a meeting between European and Ukrainian leaders, appeared to counter the one put forward by the Trump administration demanding major concessions from Kyiv while asking Moscow to give up very little.
In contrast to the US plan which calls on Ukraine to shrink its forces from about 900,000 soldiers to only 600,000, the European version states “no restriction” must be placed on Kyiv’s army, the Telegraph reported.
And unlike the US proposal, the European plan does not ban Ukraine from joining NATO, a key demand from Russia, which claims it invaded Ukraine as response to the western defense block’s alleged aggression.
Not only would Ukraine be eligible for NATO membership, but it would also be free to invite “friendly forces” to operate in its nation as a security measure, according to the leak.
The European plan also shifts back to Trump’s previous proposal to freeze the front lines — as opposed to his latest pitch to have Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region, which Russia has failed to conquer for more than a decade.
Kyiv maintains that the region has managed to fend off Russia’s assault for years, with the Donetsk fortress belt repeatedly keeping Moscow’s invasion force at bay.
Ukraine has argued that losing Donbas would only leave the nation exposed to a third Russian invasion — which would face little resistance without any proper security guarantees in the peace deal.
The current US plan only states that Kyiv will “receive reliable security guarantees” but falls far short of NATO’s Article 5, which treats any attack on a member state as an attack on the entire bloc. Russia has previously rejected such terms.
The European plan appears to suggest a stronger guarantee like an Article 5 trigger, insisting that there will be “robust, legally-binding security guarantees, including from the US, to prevent future aggression” by Russia, according to the Telegraph.
Like the US plan, the European deal gives a pathway for Russia to rejoin the global economy and see its heavy sanctions lifted, but the proposal holds a “snap back” mechanism which would re-isolate Moscow if the cease-fire is breached.
Both Europe and the US would be tasked with monitoring the cease-fire line, the plan adds.
The European proposal also states that Russia’s seized foreign assets, which amount to some $250 billion, would be used for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The European plan was at the center of Kyiv’s meeting with EU officials on Sunday in Geneva, which was followed by talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s right-hand man Andriy Yermak and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio, who defended the controversial 28-point peace plan, described the talks with Yermak as “probably the most productive and meaningful meeting so far in this entire process.”
Yermak and Zelensky have said that a proper peace plan must take Ukraine’s priorities into account and avoid rewarding Russia for launching its invasion and starting the war.
