Reuters: Ukraine and Europe confront US proposals for peace negotiations

This week, Ukrainian and European officials opposed some US proposals on how to end the Russian war with Ukraine, presenting counter -destinations on issues from territory to sanctions, according to complete texts of proposals that were considered Reuters

Briefly about the oncoming offers of Kyiv and European allies, which were voiced at negotiations in Paris on April 17 and London April 23:

• The recognition of Russian control over any Ukrainian territory should be postponed before the conclusion of an agreement on the ceasefire.
• The absence of any restrictions for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the allied placement of their contingents on Ukrainian land.
• The United States joins security guarantees for Ukraine through an “agreement similar to article 5 on the collective defense of the NATO Charter.
• Sanctions against the Russian Federation will be weakened gradually, after reaching a sustainable world, and can be resumed if Moscow violates the terms of a peace agreement.
• Ukraine will receive financial compensation for the damage caused by the war due to frozen Russian assets.

Sets of proposals developed during negotiations between officials USA, Europe And Ukraine V Paris April 17 and in London April 23, reveal the internal mechanisms of diplomacy when the US President Donald Trump Strives for the rapid end of the war.

The main areas of disagreements in two texts relate to the sequence of resolving issues about the territory, lifting sanctions from Russia, guarantees of security and size of the military forces of Ukraine.

Although some discrepancies were marked by sources close to negotiations, documents considered Reutersfor the first time in detail and clearly outlined the differences.

The first text claims that its “conditions represent the final proposal from the United States to both parties.” It contains sentences put forward by the messenger of Trump Steve Whitkoff European officials c Pariswhich were transferred to Ukrainians, according to sources close to negotiations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio He described the sentences as a “wide frame that opens a new tab” to identify differences between the parties, although the vice-president of the United States D. J. Wans He later stated that the United States put forward a very clear proposal to both parties, and it was time to agree or see how Washington ceases his peaceful efforts.

The second text appeared this week as a result of negotiations between Ukrainian and European officials in London And transferred to the American side, sources said.

President Vladimir Zelensky said on Thursday that the document with the proposals that arose from negotiations in London on Wednesday, now is on the table Trump. On Friday Whitkoff Arrived in Moscow for negotiations and met with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

This diplomacy is the most coordinated attempt to stop the fighting from the first months of Russia's invasion of February 2022. Currently, Moscow forces control almost a fifth of Ukraine.

Differences

As for the territory, proposals Whitkoff demand the legal recognition of the United States over Russia's control over Crimeathe Ukrainian peninsula that Moscow captured and annexed in 2014as well as de facto recognition of Russia's control over the territories of southern and eastern Ukraine, which control the forces of Moscow.

In contrast, European and Ukrainian documents postpone a detailed discussion of the territory until the end of the ceasefire, without mentioning in the document on the recognition of Russian control over any Ukrainian territory.

Tension on the issue of Crimea She became obvious this week when Trump criticized Zelensky After the Ukrainian leader again stated that Kyiv does not recognize the peninsula of the Russian.

Trump said in an interview with the magazine Timepublished on Friday that “Crimea will remain with Russia, and I do not think that (Ukraine) will ever be able to join NATO.”

As for the long -term security of Ukraine, a document Whitkoff It claims that Ukraine will receive a “reliable guarantee of security” from European and other friendly states acting as guarantors. It does not give further details on this issue, but claims that Kyiv will not strive to join NATO.

The rival document is more concern, claiming that there will be no restrictions on Ukrainian forces and no restrictions on the deployment of military forces of the Allied of Ukraine in Ukrainian territory – a situation that would probably be angry with Moscow.

He offers reliable security guarantees for Kyiv, including from the United States, with an “agreement similar to article 5”, which is a reference to the NATO mutual defense article.

As for economic measures, suggestions Whitkoff claim that the sanctions imposed against Russia since the annexation of Crimea in 2014will be lifted as part of the transaction under discussion.

Counter -offices argue that “US sanctions imposed against Russia with 2014can be gradually weakened after reaching a sustainable world, ”and that they can be restored if Russia violates the conditions of a peaceful transaction.

European and Ukrainian documents also suggest that Ukraine receive financial compensation for damage caused during the war from frozen Russian assets abroad. Text Whitkoff It only claims that Ukraine will be compensated financially without indicating the source of money.

PRESSURE

Both Kyiv and Moscow are trying to show Trumpthat they achieve progress to his goal of a quick peace agreement after the United States threatened to abandon its peaceful efforts. Zelensky said on Thursday that negotiations in London were difficult, but “constructive.”

Three European diplomats expressed discontent Reuterssaying that they initially believed that negotiations in Paris were constructive, the basis for further advancement and continuation of clarification of positions in negotiations in Londonbefore Whitkoff will return to Moscow.

But in the following days, there was a feeling that American negotiators were under pressure to achieve progress in the transaction, which, according to them, caused fears that Ukrainians and Europeans could be in the corner and would be forced to agree to the agreement.

According to diplomats, a meeting in London was used to unite the European and Ukrainian counterposition, so that the US representative Kit Kellog could return it to Washington.

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