The President of the European Council, António Costa, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Monday welcomed the progress in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. However, they pointed out that after weekend efforts to modify the draft of the US peace plan, there are still outstanding issues. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the AFP agency and The Guardian newspaper.
In short:
- European leaders assessed progress in peace plan negotiations
- The territorial integrity of Ukraine is crucial
- The EU emphasized the support of diplomatic and defense measures for Ukraine
“There has been a new impetus in the peace negotiations,” Costa told reporters in Angola after an extraordinary meeting of European Union leaders. “Although much work still needs to be done, we now have a solid foundation for further progress,” added von der Leyen.
Swiss negotiations
According to European officials, the original version of the American peace plan for Ukraine is perceived as significantly inclined to Moscow’s tough demands, writes AFP. Representatives of Ukraine and the United States, in the presence of European representatives, drafted a modified version of the peace plan on Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland. Costa declared that the negotiations had led to progress “on several issues”. “Some points remain unresolved, but the direction is positive,” he added.
Von der Leyen praised the “good progress” achieved in Geneva and recalled that the basic principles remain unchanged for the EU: the territory and sovereignty of Ukraine must be respected and decisions on the armed forces can only be taken by Ukrainian authorities. She revealed that the European leaders will hold a video call on Tuesday with other countries of the so-called coalition of the willing, which support Ukraine.
Diplomatic support of the Union
Both leaders confirmed the EU’s continued diplomatic, military and financial support for Ukraine, stressing that “it is about the security of our entire continent”.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that while some issues had been resolved in the Geneva talks, “peace in Ukraine will not be achieved overnight”. He emphasized that Europe must actively cooperate on the peace plan for Ukraine, given its consequences for European security. He called on Russia to engage directly and constructively in the talks.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared that no agreement must threaten the security of Poland or the whole of Europe, on the contrary, it should strengthen it. According to him, EU leaders agreed that 28 points proposed by the US and Russia require modification.
