European diplomats and officials are reacting with outrage to new details of the US peace plan, warning that it could undermine their efforts to help Ukraine in the war. This is reported by POLITICO, according to UNN.
Details
According to the publication, US President Donald Trump has intervened in some of the most delicate negotiations currently underway in Europe, which could derail efforts to provide financial assistance to Ukraine to continue its fight against Russia.
For several months, European Union officials have been trying to find a way to use about 140 billion euros of frozen Russian state assets, mostly located in Belgium, to support Kyiv's military efforts.
These funds are desperately needed, as Ukraine risks running out of money early next year. According to diplomats, negotiations in Brussels are now at an extremely delicate stage, as high-ranking officials are trying to finalize the legal text that would allow the use of frozen funds to provide a loan to the Ukrainian government. However, the new 28-point US ceasefire plan contains an alternative idea of using these same assets to rebuild the country under US leadership after a truce is concluded.
It is noted that according to the document, the US will receive 50% of the profits from this activity.
Several EU diplomats and officials said they feared that the proposals of Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, would destroy their chances of getting the loan proposal approved by the 27 EU governments.
One high-ranking EU official in Brussels ridiculed the idea and noted that, whatever he wanted, Trump has no authority to unfreeze assets located in Europe.
Witkoff needs to see a psychiatrist
The question of how to use frozen Russian assets is one of the most difficult for Ukraine's allies, given numerous concerns about potential legal, political, security, and economic consequences.
The most difficult problem is that the assets are mainly stored in a Belgian institution called Euroclear, which puts the Belgians in an overly vulnerable position to the risks of retaliation from Russia.
The EU's idea is to use these assets to provide a loan to Ukraine, which would only have to be repaid if Russia agrees to pay reparations to Kyiv after a peace agreement is signed. However, Belgium is hesitant to approve this plan, fearing that it will be held financially responsible if Russia tries to recover these funds. This has put Belgium at odds with other EU members who are pushing for faster action to support Ukraine.
Recall
Axios published US President Donald Trump's 28-point plan for peace in Ukraine, which includes territorial concessions, security guarantees, and economic components.
Reuters reported, citing two sources, that "the United States threatened to cut off intelligence sharing and arms supplies to Ukraine to force it to agree to a US-brokered peace deal framework."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with the leaders of France, Britain, and Germany regarding the American peace plan. The parties coordinated further steps and agreed on joint work of the teams.