U.S. and Ukrainian representatives held talks Tuesday in Geneva on President Donald Trump’s 28-point plan to end the Russian-ukrainian conflict. In response to the“New peace plan”, Donald Trump claimed that Zelenskiy“Will have to like” and approve it or“They will continue to fight”. He also gave Ukraine an ultimatum to accept the plan by the 27th of this month. In response, Zelenskiy held emergency consultations with a number of EU countries and said he would propose an“Alternative” to Donald Trump’s plan. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin said the plan could serve as a“Basis for a final peaceful settlement” between Russia and Ukraine. Although many European media referred to this plan as the“U.S.-MADE Ukrainian surrender plan,” the leaders of the European Union, France, Germany, Britain and other countries issued a joint statement on the 22nd, while welcoming the“U. S. effort,” it said the plan“Needs to be further refined.”. Some analysts believe that the game between the US, Ukraine, Russia and Europe on how to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine may become more intense in the future.
A U. S. security guard holds a Ukrainian flag as he walks outside the U. S.-ukraine talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday. (visual China)
Donald Trump: “He must accept.”
Zelenskiy has signed an order, yermak Timofeyevich, the President’s chief of Staff, led a delegation to Geneva to begin consultations on Donald Trump’s“Peace plan”. The delegation also includes the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Commission and the Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian army.
Agence France-presse said the U.S. side to participate in negotiations is the U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Witkoff. In addition, the European Union, Britain, France, Germany and other senior officials also attended the talks. British prime minister Stamer on the 22nd stressed that any solution should provide“Solid security” for Ukraine.
To some Ukrainian and European relief, Donald Trump toned down his earlier calls for immediate approval of the 28-point plan. According to the Wall Street Journal, because some Republican lawmakers in Ukraine, many European countries and even the United States have criticized the plan as“Too biased toward Moscow,” “No, this is not my final plan,” Donald Trump said at the White House yesterday when asked if the plan’s terms were no longer negotiable, without specifying what might be changed but stressing that, “In any case, we want peace, which is long overdue.”
A day earlier, Donald Trump Fox News Channel interview also insisted that 27 is the appropriate deadline for Kiev to accept the plan. Zelenskiy had to approve the plan, he said, given the tight time frame for the approaching winter and the need to end the bloodshed. “He has to accept it, and if not, they keep fighting! At some point, he will have to accept something he wasn’t willing to accept before.”
At the White House late yesterday, Donald Trump said again that Zelenskiy“Will have to like” the plan and approve it. He says Ukraine is losing territory and will lose more in the short term. “Do you remember what happened in the White House Oval Office a few months ago?” He said, recalling a tense stand-off with Zelenskiy at the White House in February? I said then [ to Zelenskiy ] , ‘you have no cards’ .”
Zelenskiy: U will mention“Alternative options”
Vice President Vance spoke to Zelenskiy on the phone Monday to discuss the plan for nearly an hour after Donald Trump issued an ultimatum, AP reported. After speaking to Vance, Zelenskiy tweeted on social media that the country had“Agreed to co-operate with the US and Europe at the national security assistant level to make the path to peace truly viable”.
Later, in a video address, Zelenskiy said the country was under more pressure than ever and faced a difficult choice between accepting the“Difficult” 28-point plan, or face the harshest winters and the dangers that come with them. He added that Uzbekistan would put forward its views and“Alternative options”.
Meanwhile, Russian“Izvestia” reported on the 22nd, on the evening of the 21st, Putin said at a Russian federal security conference that the Russian side had received the text of the“28-point plan” through existing communication channels with the US government, “I think it could be the basis for a final peace settlement,” Putin said, saying that Russia was ready for peace talks, which would require substantive discussions on all the details of the new plan, but the U. S. side has not discussed the specific content of the program with the Russian side. He said that the U. S. has not yet secured the agreement of the Ukrainian side to the program, and the Ukrainian side opposed the program. “It is clear that the Ukrainians and their European allies remain under the illusion that they will inflict a strategic defeat on the Russian side on the battlefield,” Putin said, adding that if Ukraine refused to discuss the“28-point plan”, then the Russian army is bound to repeat the Kupiansk in other key front areas.
Europe: Plan ‘needs further refinement’
As for the Geneva talks and Donald Trump’s“28-point Plan”, european leaders including European Commission President Michel von der Leyen, French president Maqueron, German Chancellor Merz and British Prime Minister Stamer issued a joint statement on the 22nd during the G20 summit in South Africa, while praising the draft plan for having“Elements that are essential for achieving a just and lasting peace”, it also stated that“It needs to be further refined” and reaffirmed that“International borders should not be changed by force”.
In contrast to the statements by European leaders, the plan has been heavily criticised in the European media. The French Le Figaro called the 28-point plan“The American plan for the surrender of Ukraine”, which it said had left the leading European countries with a long sleepless night.
Radio France Internationale said Europe did not expect the United States, the“Leader of the free world,” to“Stab Ukraine in the back” at the expense of its European allies, with Putin to design a so-called“Peace plan” for Kiev. Reported that the European countries at this time more need to close together to cope, but this proposal is after all made in the name of the United States, European allies cautious, not publicly rejected. In their joint statement, they also welcomed“The efforts of the United States.”.
“The countdown has begun,” Le Monde said yesterday, adding that Donald Trump believed the only way to speed up the process was to put pressure on what he saw as the weaker party. Zelenskiy, meanwhile, has been put on the ropes by a major corruption scandal. What will happen to Ukraine and Europe if dangerous sticking points in the“28-point plan” can not be adjusted? Russia, it seems, is waiting for the transatlantic alliance to fall apart.