Europe Rejects Peace Plan Over Borders and Army Caps as US Pushes for Ukraine Concessions

WASHINGTON— The future security architecture of Europe is hanging in the balance as US and European officials meet in Geneva today to address the controversial provisions of a US-authored 28-point plan intended to end the war in Ukraine.

The central conflict lies in the plan\’s heavy territorial and military demands on Kyiv, which European allies have warned would fundamentally compromise Ukraine\’s long-term security.

The draft plan, which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed was written by the US with input from both sides, contains several elements that Ukraine and its allies have publicly rejected. A joint statement signed by leaders from 11 European nations and Canada stated the plan \”would leave Ukraine vulnerable to attack,\” citing two key provisions:

The plan calls for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the part of the eastern Donetsk region they currently control, effectively ceding de facto Russian control over the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, along with the Crimea peninsula annexed in 2014.

The plan includes freezing the borders of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions along the current battle lines, codifying Russia\’s partial occupation of these southern areas.

Ukraine would be obliged to limit the size of its armed forces and pledge not to join the NATO military alliance.

These concessions are viewed as rewarding Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and leave Kyiv without the ability to adequately defend itself in the future.

The US administration has been relentless in its push for the agreement, with President Donald Trump previously stating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy \”will have to\” approve it. Trump later clarified the draft did not represent a \”final offer.\” Zelenskyy, who relies heavily on US-manufactured weapons, announced a strategic move on Saturday, appointing his trusted head of office, Andriy Yermak, to lead Ukraine\’s negotiating team for all future peace talks.

Meanwhile, Secretary Rubio is working to address the deep skepticism from European partners. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz summarized the European view, stating, \”we are still quite a long way from a good outcome for everyone,\” while French President Emmanuel Macron insisted any settlement must also guarantee security for \”all Europeans.\”

The plan promises Kyiv \”reliable security guarantees\” and states Russia is \”expected\” not to invade its neighbors or see NATO expand further, but the lack of detail on the enforcement of these points remains a major sticking point for allies.