Europe fears a Trojan horse for Russia in Trump's plan for Ukraine - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
European officials are concerned that a new US-initiated peace deal in Ukraine could allow Russia to use a demilitarized zone to re-invade Donbas. Moscow demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops, while Kyiv refuses to cede territory.
European officials are increasingly concerned that Russia could use a new US-brokered peace deal in Ukraine, paving the way for a renewed invasion of the eastern Donbas region, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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According to people familiar with the matter, "the fear, which is a major stumbling block in recent negotiations, is that the US plan for a demilitarized zone would give the Kremlin cover to deploy covert forces in the disputed area." "The Kremlin could then use hybrid tactics, including so-called false flag operations, to undermine US security guarantees and set the stage for a new invasion," they said.
Almost four years after Russia's full-scale attack, control over the territory is at the center of complex negotiations between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow, as officials approach an agreement. Moscow demands that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including territories not controlled by Russia, while Kyiv refuses to cede territory, the publication notes.
Details of the negotiations are not disclosed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the US discussed turning Donbas into a "free economic zone" under special administration, while Russia chose a "demilitarized zone." This week, Zelenskyy voiced the idea of a referendum on potential territorial solutions for the region.
"But Russia could take advantage of any withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from territories controlled by Kyiv," sources familiar with the situation said.
Therefore, Europe's main task in the coming days and weeks is to ensure that any peace agreement does not contain a Russian Trojan horse
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on these concerns.
Although Kremlin head Vladimir Putin "presumably retains his maximalist goals in Ukraine, the key question is whether Moscow continues to reject any peace deal or tactically supports America's attempts to reach an agreement in the coming weeks," according to sources.
"In addition to the potential to use the peace process with its usual arsenal of hybrid attacks, another risk is Moscow's interference in a public referendum or elections that may take place after a peace settlement," they said.
Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to Berlin on Monday to meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to continue negotiations. According to people familiar with the matter, "national security advisers from Ukraine, Europe, and the US are expected to hold discussions on draft plans before the meeting."
Peter Ricketts, former UK National Security Adviser, said Europeans are right to be concerned about the US proposal for a demilitarized zone. Once America's attention shifts elsewhere, Putin could "create incidents as a pretext" - for example, protecting Russian speakers - to intervene, he said.
"This would leave the rest of Ukraine vulnerable to the next Russian offensive," Ricketts said. "So this is not just a technical point, but a fundamental issue - for Ukraine and for European security."
"The status of the demilitarized zone and who will patrol it are unclear," some of Ukraine's allies said. American negotiators spoke of the region being under special administration, but also proposed recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as de facto Russian, along with Crimea, the publication notes.
The two partially occupied regions, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, will be frozen along the current line of contact, the publication writes.
Kremlin aide Yuriy Ushakov seemed to support the idea of a demilitarized zone, suggesting that instead of Russian troops controlling the area, their national guard or police could be deployed there, the publication indicates.
According to European officials, such a proposal would be considered unworkable for Ukraine and its allies.
For its part, Kyiv has consistently refused to cede territory and seeks airtight security guarantees that would resemble NATO's mutual defense mechanism, known as Article 5. Earlier this week, it stated that its main goal is to find out what Western allies are willing to offer, the publication notes.
"There is one question that I - and all Ukrainians - want an answer to," Zelenskyy told Bloomberg on Monday. "If Russia starts a war again, what will our partners do?"