US allies express concern about Trump's peace plan - CNN
Kyiv • UNN
U.S. allies are alarmed by the framework being promoted by the Trump administration to end the war. Ukraine is being offered to cede Crimea and large swathes of territory to Russia.
Some US allies are very alarmed by the framework that the US President Donald Trump's administration is promoting to end the war in Ukraine, and Europeans are preparing for the results of another round of high-level talks between the US and Russia, CNN was told by numerous diplomatic sources, writes UNN.
Details
"The administration's framework, presented in Paris last week, envisages significant sacrifices on the part of Kyiv, including US recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and Ukraine's transfer of large swathes of territory to Russia," according to an official familiar with the matter. US Vice President Jay Dee Vance on Wednesday called for a "freezing of territorial lines at a level close to where they are today."
Asked what concessions Russia had offered on Thursday, Trump replied: "to stop the war", hinting that not "seizing the entire country" was a "pretty big concession".
Several allied diplomats said they were alarmed by what the Trump administration was offering, as they believe such a structure sends a dangerous signal to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping, that illegal conquest can be rewarded
"This is about fundamental principles of international law. This largely concerns our own existence and the weakening of any guarantees that my country or others have for our own independence," a CNN diplomat from Eastern Europe said.
"If one country in Europe is currently under pressure or forced to give up parts of its own legitimate territory, territory that has been recognised as part of Ukraine... if one country in Europe is forced to do so, no country in Europe or elsewhere can feel safe, whether or not NATO is part of NATO," the diplomat said.
"The proposal to actually recognise Crimea as part of Russia by the US would overturn years of US policy, which asserts that despite the Russian occupation, Crimea is Ukrainian territory. European officials say they will not follow suit, leaving the US isolated," the publication writes.
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Asian allies, as indicated, are also increasingly concerned about a deal to end the war that would reward Russia after a deadly conflict. In private conversations with US partners, Asian diplomats have made it clear that they are concerned about the global implications of a settlement that violates Ukraine's borders.
"China is watching. We have informed the Trump administration about this. We are concerned about what message they might take from any cessation of war that appears to reward Russia for the bloodshed," one Asian diplomat said.
All eyes are now on the expected meeting between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin on Friday, which comes after sources reported progress made in talks with European, Ukrainian and US officials in London on Wednesday. However, many Europeans fear that progress may not be fast enough to satisfy Trump's ambitions to end the war, the publication notes.
There are also concerns about what additional promises Putin may make to Witkoff to win US favour, amid warnings from European leaders that the Russian president cannot be trusted.
Officials are wondering "what level of pressure will be applied to Witkoff's fourth trip to Russia, given the US desire to end the war quickly and the past echoes of Putin's arguments by the US special representative."
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Meanwhile, despite the fact that the framework on the negotiating table is causing deep concern among many allies, negotiators have praised the progress in high-stakes diplomatic negotiations this week, including steps taken by the Ukrainians.
"We have brought [the Ukrainians] to a point where there will be talks about territory," said a European official familiar with the discussions, after a full day of meetings in London on Wednesday, attended by senior officials from Ukraine, Germany, the UK, France and US Special Representative to Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
It was this evolution of thinking that was progress, the official said, noting that they "managed to convince the Ukrainians to convince themselves to take a more friendly position vis-à-vis the US administration".
Kellogg believes the talks were "frank, positive and productive," which he told CNN.
The Germans, French and British said in a joint statement that "significant progress has been made in reaching a common position on next steps".
"The Ukrainians are coming to their senses and understanding the situation, although they have red lines that they cannot cross," said a German official when asked how flexible the Ukrainians are on territorial issues.
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The British government is working with the Ukrainians to try to move forward within the US framework, said a second European official, noting that this would be underpinned by security guarantees regularly discussed by European allies, including potential troops in Ukraine. Russia has rejected such a prospect, and Trump has said that US troops will not go to Ukraine.
"There is a reality of realpolitik: any deal that can involve Russia will look unfavourable to the Ukrainians. But within reasonable limits, the Ukrainians will have to come to terms with something that may not be the best option compared to the deal they would have wanted two years ago," another European diplomat said: "That's where we are."
"However, even if Zelensky signs up to a painful proposal involving significant land concessions - a move one Ukrainian lawmaker called 'political suicide' - the Ukrainian parliament will not accept it," the lawmaker said, the publication writes.
Some noted that the US does not appear to have a strategy for implementing a potential agreement, and Washington may be skipping past the idea of a ceasefire to simply end the conflict as quickly as possible.
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"The American position is clear: take it or leave it, that's where we are," the first European official said. "Ukraine's position - and to some extent ours - is that we recognise the need for territorial negotiations, but when will they take place?"
What exactly the US administration stands for, apart from a cessation of hostilities, remains unclear. More than a month after calling for an immediate ceasefire, which Russia rejected, it appears to be trying to make a leap forward towards the much more complex prospect of defining the outlines of a lasting peace, the publication notes.
"At this stage, we believe that reaching an agreement on key terms now is the fastest way to achieve the main goal," said one US official familiar with the months-long dispute, who criticised the administration for its lack of a strategic approach, calling it "somewhat aimless, ungovernable, confused".
"The diplomacy has been very ad hoc. The confusion over who is doing what in the case is as pronounced as ever," the official said. "People seem to be resigned to the chaos."
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