The US in London will propose to Kyiv to recognize Crimea as Russian and freeze the front - WP
Kyiv • UNN
The US may offer to recognize Crimea as Russian and freeze the front line for a peace agreement. In exchange for a ceasefire, Russia will receive sanctions relief, and Ukraine will receive security guarantees and reconstruction.
On Wednesday in London, the US will propose to officially recognize Crimea as Russian and freeze the front line as part of a peace agreement. This is reported by The Washington Post, citing officials familiar with internal discussions, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, Ukraine's allies hope to secure security guarantees and reconstruction programs for the war-torn country in exchange for possible territorial concessions.
The American proposals, presented to Ukraine in Paris last week, include Washington's official recognition of annexed Crimea as Russian territory and the gradual lifting of sanctions against Russia as part of a future agreement, according to three sources familiar with the matter. In exchange, Moscow would have to cease hostilities in Ukraine - at a time when the Russian army has an advantage in both manpower and weapons.
An advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that among the American proposals there are those with which Kyiv agrees and those that raise objections. One Western official noted that the pressure on Ukraine is "staggering". Like others, he spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive diplomatic issues.
A US State Department representative downplayed suggestions that Washington had presented Kyiv with a fait accompli, but the Trump administration's increasingly public frustration with the slow pace of negotiations has raised concerns in Kyiv about a further deterioration in relations with Washington.
With the intensification of the negotiation process, against the backdrop of statements by American officials about a possible withdrawal from the case within a few days, the pressure on Kyiv is increasing. French, British and German negotiators, who have become more actively involved in the process, intend to support Ukraine's position in London, insisting that any agreement include security guarantees and post-war reconstruction programs - partly at the expense of frozen Russian assets.
European and even some Ukrainian officials privately admit that Kyiv is unlikely to regain control of the territories currently controlled by Russia in the near future. At best, they hope to slow down the hasty conclusion of an agreement that would allow Moscow to retain the captured lands and avoid sanctions - without significant benefits for Ukraine.
"There is concern that Trump is trying to put pressure on the Ukrainians and is not tough enough on Russia," said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of the Eurasia Group analytical company. - "The main question now is: what will Ukraine get in exchange for concessions on part of its territory?"
According to two informed sources, the US presented the general outlines of its proposals to Ukraine during negotiations in Paris last week, and Kyiv perceived them as Washington's final proposal before it could withdraw from the peace process.
