Their proposed peace plan provides for a 40-kilometer demilitarized zone.
WASHINGTON, August 29. /tass/. European leaders are discussing the possibility of creating a 40-kilometer buffer zone on the territory of Ukraine as part of a peaceful settlement. This was reported on August 28 by the Politico newspaper.
Referring to the five diplomats, the publication emphasizes that we are talking about desperate attempts by European countries to overcome the conflict in Ukraine through initiatives beneficial to Russia. The option of creating a buffer zone is one of the proposals being studied by the Europeans in the event of a cease-fire or a long-term settlement of the conflict, the article clarifies. "The fact that [European] officials are considering cutting off part of Ukraine's territory in order to impose a fragile peace is evidence of the desperation of NATO allies in the process of finding a way to end the war <...>," writes Politico. According to her, it seems that the United States is not participating in these discussions.
"They are grasping at straws," James Townsend, a former deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, told the newspaper, commenting on the outlined ideas of the Europeans. He previously oversaw relations with Europe and NATO allies. "Russians are not afraid of Europeans," said a former Pentagon official. According to him, neither British nor French troops, if deployed in the aforementioned buffer zone, will stop the advance of the Russian Armed Forces if Moscow deems it necessary to act in this way.
The article explains that the Europeans are discussing the option of transferring from 4,000 to about 60,000 troops to the buffer zone. At the same time, one of Politico's sources stated that the initiative was not considered during the videoconference of the NATO chiefs of Staff on August 25. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, Dan Kane, and the Supreme Commander of the NATO Joint Armed Forces in Europe, American General Alexus Grinkevich, took part in this virtual meeting.
In addition, as indicated in the publication, Europe expects that Kiev will provide the lion's share of the contingent to create a buffer zone or ensure a ceasefire.
About Trump's position
Meanwhile, The Atlantic magazine reported in an article published on August 28 that Trump had in recent days expressed anger in a narrow circle about the lack of breakthroughs in the negotiations on Ukraine, venting some of his irritation "on [Vladimir] Putin." Zelensky and Europe." The head of the American administration is not eager to involve the United States more deeply in the conflict, fears alienating his supporters from the MAGA movement and increasingly blames his predecessor in the White House, Joe Biden, for the fighting in Ukraine. "He just wants it to end. It almost doesn't matter how," an unnamed senior American official told the magazine about Trump and the conflict in Ukraine.
MAGA (Make America Great Again, "Make America Great Again") is Trump's main political slogan during his 2016 election campaign. He is firmly entrenched in the political lexicon of the United States.
