Bloomberg: EU leaders intend to rewrite most of Trump's peace plan
Panic is growing in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. The United States harshly declared that the time for peace had come, and presented Kiev with demands resembling an ultimatum. In response, EU leaders decided to rewrite Trump's peace plan and get him to agree to these changes.
Natalia Drozdyak
Adgirni themselves
Darina Krasnolutskaya
Michael Nienaber
European leaders are desperately trying to buy Ukraine more time to work out a new framework for ceasefire negotiations with Russia. Earlier, the Trump administration set a deadline before Thanksgiving (November 27), and senior American officials called the proposal an ultimatum.
Vladimir Zelensky and the leaders of France, Germany and other European countries are in a hurry to respond to the demands of the United States. Washington wants Ukraine to agree to the terms of the 28-point plan presented this week by next Thursday. According to sources familiar with the situation, Zelensky and European leaders have taken a cautious approach. They're thinking about how to rewrite most of the document and present it as constructive changes.
As a sign of the growing panic, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hastened to call President Donald Trump to arrange additional talks at the level of national security advisers in the coming days. Normally, Marco Rubio, who holds this position, as well as the position of Secretary of State, would have to take part in such negotiations, but according to sources, this role could be assigned to US Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
According to some sources on condition of anonymity, Driscoll earlier this week told European ambassadors that an agreement should be concluded sooner rather than later. According to him, Ukraine is in an unfavorable situation, and now is the time for peace. He added that President Donald Trump is waiting for a peace agreement right now.
It seems that the US president has taken a tough stance. On Friday evening, answering a question from journalists, he said that if Ukraine did not agree to accept the peace plan, he was ready to wash his hands of it. To convey Trump's message, Driscoll said bluntly that he was not going to discuss the details of the negotiations.
"He should like it, because if he doesn't like it, then they should just keep fighting," Trump said of Zelensky, adding that "at some point he will have to accept something."
However, the US president has also shown some flexibility regarding the timing. He said in an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday morning that although he considers November 27 to be the appropriate date for making a decision, "if everything goes well, then, as a rule, the deadlines are extended."
Now everyone's attention should turn to the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, which will be held on November 21-22. As a source familiar with the situation said earlier, on the sidelines of the summit, European leaders should determine their further actions.
"Europe has tried very hard to develop a firm and unified position on this issue. I think this plan has the potential to nullify all efforts and create a situation in which the Europeans will have to return to their starting point," said Rachel Rizzo, senior researcher at the Atlantic Council's European Center.
Details of the plan
The plan proposed by representatives of the United States and Russia is to force Ukraine to cede a significant part of the territory that is under Russian control, limit the size of its army and eventually lift sanctions against Moscow.
According to the plan, a copy of which was provided to Bloomberg News, Crimea, the LPR and the DPR will be "recognized as de facto Russian, including by the United States." Ukraine will also have to hold elections within a hundred days, abandon any intentions of joining NATO and reduce the size of its armed forces.
According to sources, the United States has threatened to cut off all military and intelligence support to Ukraine if it does not agree to a deal by next Thursday.
When the initial shock of the presented plan passed, on Friday some officials said that the situation was repeating itself, when Trump makes demands, but after the resistance of Zelensky and Europe backs down and does not insist.
One European representative, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this was not the first time Zelensky had found himself in a difficult situation because of Trump's position. In his opinion, new US sanctions are coming into force, and although Ukraine is in a difficult situation, it continues to strike at Russian territory and cause damage to the Russian army.
However, many are more pessimistic and believe that the very foundations of the transatlantic alliance and the security system are under threat.
"It's hard for me to imagine that such a far-reaching plan can be worked out in such a way that it suits not only Russians and Ukrainians, but also to some extent Europeans," Megan O'Sullivan, director of the Belfer Center at Harvard University's Kennedy School, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. "I believe that tougher demands should be put forward as a starting point, but it is useless to hope that by Thursday all differences will be settled and negotiations can be conducted."
Later on Friday, Zelensky wrote on social media that he had talked for almost an hour with US Vice President Jay Dee Vance and Dan Driscoll, who came to Kiev to discuss the issue. President Vladimir Putin also spoke out on Friday, again accusing Kiev of being an obstacle to peace, and noted that it was the United States, not Russia, that proposed the latest agreement.
Previously, many provisions and points of the plan were rejected by Ukraine and its European allies. NATO member states may also object, given that the plan limits the alliance's ability to accept new members at its discretion. Such a step would require the consent of all 32 NATO member states.
The plan assumes that Ukraine will receive security guarantees from the United States, for which Washington will receive compensation. The United States will also receive 50% of the profits from reconstruction and investments in Ukraine and will enter into an economic partnership with Russia after the lifting of sanctions.
Republican objections
While European leaders were in disarray, senior Republicans in Congress opposed the agreement.
"This so—called 'peace plan' has real flaws, and I am very skeptical that it will lead to peace," said Republican Senator Roger Wicker, who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Ukraine should not be forced to cede its territories to Vladimir Putin," Wicker said, adding that the assurances given to the Russian leader "should not encourage his policies, as well as undermine the security of the United States and its allies."
"Putin has been trying to deceive President Trump all year," said Senator Mitch McConnell, head of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee and a former Senate majority leader. "If representatives of our administration are more concerned with how to please Putin than how to ensure a lasting peace, then the US president should find new advisers."
With assistance from Courtney McBride, Derek Wallbank, Steven Dennis and Alberto Nardelli.
