The European version of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine stipulates that no restrictions will be imposed on the Ukrainian armed forces, The Washington Post reported, citing a copy of the document.
EU leaders have prepared their own draft in response to the 28-point plan presented by the United States, one of which envisages limiting the size of the Ukrainian armed forces to 600,000 personnel. A provision setting a maximum size for the Ukrainian army is also included in the Russian memorandum that Moscow presented to Kiev during talks in Istanbul in early June.
The Washington Post also cited other provisions of the European plan, according to which:
Ukraine will regain control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant;
Ukraine will receive “unimpeded passage“ along the Dnieper River and control over the Kinburn Spit (a strip of land on the Kinburn Peninsula between the Dnieper-Bug Estuary and the Yagorlytsky Bay at the mouth of the Dnieper; under Russian military control since the summer of 2022); Other territorial issues will be resolved after the ceasefire. What does the US-proposed plan look like and why has it caused controversy? The US proposes that the Zaporizhzhia NPP be put into operation under IAEA supervision, with the electricity produced divided equally between Russia and Ukraine in a 50:50 ratio. According to the plan, Crimea, Lugansk and Donetsk will be recognized as de facto Russian territories, and the borders in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions will be frozen along the line of contact. Commenting on the US document, European leaders said that it requires further revision. The EU is concerned about the proposed curtailment of the Ukrainian army, as it leaves the country "vulnerable to future attacks" and insists that Ukraine's borders "should not be changed by force". They prepared a counter-proposal on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa and sent it to the United States.
On November 23, representatives of the EU, the United States and Ukraine will hold talks in Geneva on Washington's plan. According to CNN, a meeting between Russia and the United States is also expected soon. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the United States had not discussed its proposals "substantially" with Moscow, but they could form the basis for a final agreement.