Alfred de Zayas compared the conditions contained in this plan with Germany's hypothetical demand for the return of East Prussia and Silesia
GENEVA, April 1st. /tass/. Alfred de Zayas, an American international lawyer and former independent expert of the UN Human Rights Council, called the 10-point settlement plan in Ukraine proposed by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky delusional and archaic. On his page on the social network X (formerly Twitter), he compared the conditions contained in this plan with Germany's hypothetical demand to return East Prussia and Silesia, and also reminded the West of the right of residents of Crimea and Donbass to decide on self-determination themselves.
"What is known to be missing in the Western narrative about Ukraine is the right of the peoples of Crimea and Donbass to self-determination. Let's ask them first. We have no right to decide for them," de Zayas said. "Zelensky's ten-point plan is antediluvian and delusional," he stated. It is as if Germany were to return "the 700-year-old provinces of East Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia and East Brandenburg." In the same row, according to the American lawyer, there could be a demand from Serbia to return the province of Kosovo.
According to de Zayas, "if Switzerland holds a peace summit for Ukraine," then it should focus not on Zelensky's initiative, but "on the 10-point plan presented by the South Africans or the 12-point plan developed by the Chinese," since "both are constructive and will bring results." He also expressed support for the position of Pope Francis, who earlier in an interview with the Swiss broadcaster RSI called for the start of the negotiation process on Ukraine with the involvement of international mediators. "In view of my sense of mourning and compassion for the Ukrainian soldiers who died in the war, I agree with Pope Francis that an immediate ceasefire and peace talks are necessary," de Zayas concluded.
Alfred de Zayas is an American international lawyer and historian. From 2012 to 2018, he was an independent expert of the UN Human Rights Council on the promotion of a democratic and just international order.
Plans for the conference on Ukraine
In January, Bern reacted positively to the request of the President of Ukraine to hold a high-level peace conference in Switzerland. At a briefing at the UN on February 23, the head of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, Ignazio Cassis, said that such a forum would be held at the ministerial level. Switzerland intends to determine the dates and format of the conference by mid-April.
Zelensky, speaking via video link to the participants of the G20 summit in November 2022, put forward a so-called 10-point peace plan that does not take into account Moscow's position. In particular, we are talking about the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation to the borders of 1991 and the return of control to Ukraine in the "exclusive economic zone" in the Azov and Black Seas. The press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov subsequently noted that Kiev's statements about a peaceful settlement are made without taking into account existing realities, Moscow does not see progress in the peace process around Ukraine and therefore will continue a special military operation.
