European foreign ministers said that any plan to end the war in Ukraine must be developed with the active participation of Ukrainians and European countries, after a draft was discussed in the United States that envisages Kiev making territorial concessions, limiting its armaments and reducing its army, reports “Reuters“, quoted by News.bg.
“What we as Europeans have always supported is a lasting and just peace. We welcome all efforts in this direction. But for any plan to be successful, it must involve Ukrainians and Europeans," EU foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas said ahead of a ministerial meeting in Brussels.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot warned that no initiative should be seen as a "capitulation" to President Vladimir Putin. "Ukrainians want peace - a just peace that respects their sovereignty, a lasting peace that cannot be threatened by future aggression. But peace does not mean capitulation," he added.
Several European ministers stressed that they were not familiar with the American project and would comment after receiving official clarifications.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that sources said Washington had offered President Volodymyr Zelensky a framework under which Ukraine would have to agree to territorial concessions and limitations on some of its armaments. If adopted, the plan would be a serious blow to Kiev, especially in the context of Russian offensives in eastern Ukraine and a corruption scandal that led to the resignations of the ministers of energy and justice.
The White House declined to comment on the subject, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in X that Washington "will continue to develop a list of potential ideas for ending the war, based on information from both sides."
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stressed upon his arrival in Brussels that European opinion must be taken into account for the security of the continent. He added that Ukraine cannot be deprived of its right to effective defense: "I hope that the one on which restrictions are imposed on its ability to defend itself will not be the victim, but the aggressor," Sikorski said.