Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says that any peace plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine needs to involve both the Ukrainian and the European Union.
How crucial is Ukrainian and European approval for the proposed peace terms?What are the new reports of US-Russia planning a peace plan?
Prior to an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Thursday, the European Union High Representative made the statements in Brussels. Any plan needs support from Europeans and Ukrainians to succeed, Kallas told reporters.
As reported by Interfax news agency, among other matters pertaining to Ukraine, Kallas stated that ministers would talk about “the latest news.” She didn’t say what news she was referring to, but there are currently reports in the media about an alleged “28-point peace plan” that the US and Russia have reached.
How crucial is Ukrainian and European approval for the proposed peace terms?
“We will also discuss the latest news. As Europeans, we have always supported a lasting and just peace, and we welcome any efforts to achieve it. Of course, for any plan to work, Ukrainians and Europeans are needed, so this is quite understandable,”
the EU high representative said.
She emphasized that “in this war there is one aggressor and one victim.”
“We have not heard any concessions from the Russian side. I mean, if Russia really wanted peace, it could have agreed to an unconditional ceasefire some time ago, while we are seeing the bombing of civilians again tonight,” Kallas added.
Kallas restated that
“in order to end this war, it is necessary that the Ukrainians and the Europeans also agree to these plans.”
“Putin could have ended this war immediately if he had simply stopped bombing civilians and killing people, but we have not seen any concessions from the Russian side. We welcome all substantial efforts to end this war, but as we have said before, it must be fair and lasting. This also means that Ukrainians, as well as Europeans, agree with this,”
Kallas said.
What are the new reports of US-Russia planning a peace plan?
According to a source who spoke to AFP on Wednesday, Kyiv would give up territory and cut its army in half as part of a new US peace plan for Ukraine. Russia’s terms for ending the war seem to be repeated in the proposal. Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe by area.
Axios, a US media outlet, previously also revealed that Washington and Moscow were developing a covert strategy to put an end to the nearly four-year conflict.
According to an unnamed source familiar with the draft US peace proposal,
“recognition of Crimea and other regions that the Russians have taken”
and
“reduction of the army to 400,000 personnel” are included.
Additionally, Ukraine would have to surrender all long-range weaponry. The official continued,
“An important nuance is that we don’t understand whether this is really Trump’s story”
or “his entourage’s.”
Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
