Leading European nations, Japan, and Canada have officially rejected the American plan to settle the war in Ukraine in its current form. The rejection was contained in a statement released Saturday following a crisis meeting at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, according to Der Spiegel.
"The 28-point plan contains important elements but requires further work," the document stated. "We firmly adhere to the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned about the proposed limitations on the Ukrainian armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks."
According to Bild, Europeans are pushing for revisions to at least four points in the American plan. First, the proposal for a territorial division, including the recognition of the entire Donetsk region and Crimea as Russian. Second, the reduction of the Ukrainian army to 600,000 troops, which could make the country vulnerable. Third, security guarantees for Ukraine, as European nations doubt the reliability of Russia's formal non-aggression commitments, given that the Kremlin has already violated previous agreements. Fourth, the future of frozen Russian assets: Europeans do not want Vladimir Putin to gain control of them.
Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz stressed at the summit: "Wars cannot be concluded by great powers over the heads of the nations involved. An end to the war is only possible with Ukraine's unconditional consent."
The more-than-hour-long meeting included the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, as well as representatives from the EU, Canada, and Japan.
The American plan was primarily developed by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian Special Representative Kirill Dmitriev. The plan stipulates Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, a significant reduction of its army, and non-entry into NATO. In return, Ukraine is supposed to receive security guarantees from its partners. The plan contains almost no Russian concessions.
Talks between representatives of the U.S., Ukraine, and European states are scheduled to take place in Geneva on Sunday. Security advisors from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are expected to attend.
Donald Trump gave Ukraine a deadline until Thursday, threatening to halt the supply of weapons and intelligence. Volodymyr Zelensky called the situation "one of the most difficult moments in the country’s history," stating: "Either a loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner. Either the 28 points, or an extremely difficult winter—the most difficult—and additional risks."