Kyiv, the US and the EU develop a position on the peace plan
13 December 04:11
Ukraine, the United States and European countries are continuing to work on a common position that will define the contours of a possible peace agreement, including security guarantees for Kyiv, a representative of the French presidential administration said on Friday, December 12, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“Our goal is to develop a common framework that will become a solid basis for negotiations,” he told reporters at a briefing at the Elysee Palace .
According to the representative, the joint document is not ready yet, but all parties will continue negotiations in the coming days through various phone contacts and meetings. He did not specify whether Washington had set a deadline.
Disagreements over the American plan
Kyiv is under pressure from the White House to reach peace as soon as possible, but Ukraine rejects the U.S. plan, which was unveiled last month and is widely seen as favorable to Moscow.
The UK, France and Germany, along with European partners and Ukraine, have been working hard in recent weeks to adjust the initial US proposals, which called for Kyiv to cede significant territory to Russia, abandon its NATO aspirations and agree to a reduction in the size of its armed forces.
The French official clarified that the talks are aimed at reducing differences with the United States and focus on the issues of territories and possible security guarantees for Ukraine after the conclusion of a peace agreement. He noted that Ukrainians have made it clear that they do not intend to cede their territories to Russia.
Security guarantees and the European perspective
According to a representative of the French leadership, the possibility of including in future agreements a provision similar to Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which would provide for the participation of the United States and give Ukraine confidence in case of new aggression by Russia, is also being discussed, the French representative said.
The European parties are also under pressure because of some US proposals that touch on issues related to NATO and the European Union, and in particular, provide for Ukraine’s accelerated accession to the EU. “Ukraine’s European perspective is obvious, and this perspective is realistic. We are committed to it, and it is up to Europeans and Ukrainians to decide how to proceed,” the Elysee Palace official said.
