Ukraine conflict: EU refuses to sign peace deal, sets major condition
Berlin (The Uttam Hindu): US President Donald Trump's 28-point peace plan to end the Ukraine conflict was narrowed down to 19 points after talks between representatives of the US, Ukraine, and several European countries on Sunday, but things still don't seem to be working out. Several European Union leaders have refused to agree to a peace deal, imposing one condition.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders have said that there will be no peace deal with Ukraine without the participation of Ukrainians and Europeans. According to reports, Macron said on Monday that any peace plan related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict can only be finalized if both Ukraine and Europe are involved in the talks. Macron said this at a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On issues such as frozen Russian assets, security guarantees, and Ukraine's potential accession to the European Union, Macron said agreements can only be reached at a European table. Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said Ukraine wants a dignified end to the conflict and demanded concrete security guarantees. According to the Elysee Palace, Macron and Zelensky spoke with European leaders as well as US negotiators on Monday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also stated that Germany is opposed to any imposed peace on Ukraine. “No decision regarding Ukraine and Europe can be made without Ukrainians and Europeans,” Merz said at a press conference after his meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Berlin.
Tusk expressed support for Ukraine and cited Poland and Germany's efforts to jointly strengthen European security. Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said on Monday that Europe should also be at the negotiating table. Foreign policymakers in Latvia and the Nordic-Baltic region, as well as leaders of most NATO member states, agree that a peace agreement must respect three things: Ukraine's territorial indivisibility, sovereignty, and security interests.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss ending the fighting with Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a recent statement that a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine could only be reached if Ukraine withdraws its troops.