The plan that Washington presented to Moscow categorically rejected Ukraine’s entry into NATO, while the new version leaves room for a consensual decision by member countries of the Atlantic Alliance.
This Monday, Russia rejected the modifications introduced by European countries to the peace plan for Ukraine presented by the United States.
“We have become aware of the European plan which, at first glance, is absolutely unconstructive, it does not suit us,” said presidential advisor for international affairs, Yuri Ushakov, quoted by the Spanish news agency EFE.
The United States last week proposed a plan to end Russia’s war against Ukrainestarted in February 2022. The plan was welcomed by the Kremlin as it addresses most of the demands made by President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
The Russian presidency said the plan was in line with what Putin discussed with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in August at the Alaska summit. Trump’s plan, which was released to North American media, includes reducing the army to a maximum of 600,000 personnel or ceding to Russia territories that were not militarily conquered by Moscow.
Several European leaders considered the plan as a basis for negotiation, but argued that requires modifications or, in any case, further elaboration.
Delegations from Ukraine and the USA met this weekend
Delegations from Ukraine and the United States met over the weekend in the Swiss city of Geneva to discuss the plan, which resulted in a new proposal, the terms of which were not disclosed. Citing Western media outlets, the Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported that the European Union (EU) proposed that Ukraine maintain a force of 800,000 personnel, instead of the 600,000 envisaged in Trump’s plan.
“According to some sources, the European plan includes a ban on the deployment of NATO forces in Ukraine in peacetime, while, according to others, the decision on the presence of foreign troops remains with Kiev,” wrote Ria Novosti.
Ushakov told journalists that the Kremlin only knows the initial version of Trump’s plan. “But no one has held any specific negotiations with Russian representatives on this issue,” Putin’s adviser on international policy issues clarified.
The diplomat considered it logical that the Americans would then contact Moscow to “start the discussion in person”.
“We know that there are certain signs in this regard, but there is no concrete agreement on a meeting between Russian and North American representatives,” he said.
“Type of project”
The Kremlin has not received proposals regarding “who and when intends” go to Moscow for talks, said Ushakov, quoted by EFE. Ushakov said that many of the clauses in the plan sent to the Kremlin seemed “completely acceptable” to Moscow, but others required “the most detailed discussion and analysis possible between the parties”.
He admitted that the plan, which he called “kind of project”will be subject to revisions and modifications on the Russian side, such as, “most likely, on the Ukrainian side, and on the North American and European sides.”
“This is a very serious matter,” he told reporters in Moscow.
The plan that Washington presented to Moscow categorically rejected Ukraine’s entry into NATO, while the new version leaves room for a consensual decision by member countries of the Atlantic Alliance, according to EFE. Furthermore, it forced Ukraine to abandon the entire Donbass (Donetsk and Luhansk, east), when Kiev’s troops still control around 20% of the territory of the Donetsk region.
Both proposals do not include a declaration of a ceasefire until both sides accept the peace planstill according to the Spanish agency.
The United States and Ukraine said in a joint statement following talks held on Sunday in Geneva that drafted “an updated and improved peace framework”.
“Any future agreement must fully respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and achieve a just and sustainable peace”they said in the statement.
