Latest news with #European-Ukrainian
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's plan: Allowing Russia to keep occupied territories of Ukraine is "set in stone"
US President Donald Trump's plan envisages Russia retaining control over the occupied territories of Ukraine – this condition is "set in stone". According to The Times, it is an ultimatum for Kyiv: either accept it or lose US support. Source: The Times, citing a source close to Steve Witkoff, Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East Derails: According to the source, Trump believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "really has no choice" but to agree to the proposed plan. He is threatening to withdraw from the peace process as early as next week if a deal is not reached. The US proposal, presented by Witkoff to both Moscow and Kyiv, includes official US recognition of Russia's control over Crimea and de facto recognition of Russian control over parts of Ukraine's south and east seized after the full-scale invasion in 2022. A competing European-Ukrainian proposal states that the issue of territorial control should be discussed only after a ceasefire is achieved. "Trump's view is that this land has been seized and it is not going back. The deal on the table is that the Russian-occupied territory is going to remain occupied. Russia's not pulling it out of it. That part is set in stone," the source close to Witkoff said. According to the source, the US believes that if Ukraine rejects this deal, the war will continue for months or even years, with Kyiv depending on funding and weapons supplies from Europe. "The [US] funding cut-off actually is going to have as much of an impact as the weapons cut-off [this year], because Ukraine uses that money to buy more weapons from other allies," the source noted. When asked if this was a "take it or leave it" option, the source replied that the US sees the situation as "take it or take it". Quote: "The Americans also believe European public opinion will turn against the huge expenditure required to keep Ukraine in the war as the continent heads towards recession – partly caused by Trump's tariffs." Details: After three hours of talks between Witkoff and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday 25 April, Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy advisor, who also attended the meeting, described the negotiations as constructive and useful. "This conversation allowed Russia and the United States to further bring their positions closer together, not only on Ukraine but also on a number of other international issues," Ushakov stated. Trump demonstrated his tough stance on the Russian-occupied territories, telling Time magazine on Friday that "Crimea will stay with Russia" and again blamed Kyiv for provoking Moscow's invasion. Background: Earlier, CNN reported that there remain serious differences between Washington and Kyiv regarding the terms of a framework peace agreement with Russia. The main sticking points are security guarantees for Ukraine and the US position on recognising Russia's control over Crimea. Last week, the Trump administration reportedly handed Ukraine a one-page document in Paris, presenting it as the "final offer" for a peace deal. In it, the US shows readiness to recognise Russian control over Crimea and ease sanctions on Moscow. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Full text of US peace proposal at odds with Ukrainian, EU positions, Reuters reports
Reuters on April 25 published the full text of a U.S. peace proposal presented by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to European officials in Paris on April 17, offering the clearest look yet at the Trump administration's plan to end Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine. The publication also released a delivered by Ukrainian and European officials earlier this week. The expose disagreements on critical issues, including territorial concessions, sanctions relief, security guarantees, and the size of Ukraine's armed forces. The U.S. draft includes a provision to legally recognize Russia's 2014 and de facto accept Russian control over Ukrainian territory seized since 2022. In contrast, the European-Ukrainian proposal insists that territorial questions should only be addressed after a full ceasefire and start from the basis of the line of control. also remain a key dividing line. The U.S. text offers vague language about a "robust security guarantee" for to be provided by unspecified European and "friendly" countries. It also requires Kyiv to abandon its bid to join NATO. The Ukrainian-European proposal calls for reliable, enforceable guarantees from allies — including the U.S. — and rejects limits on or its ability to host allied forces. The documents also diverge sharply on sanctions policy. The U.S. plan calls for lifting sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014, including those related to Crimea. The Ukrainian-European text proposes sanctions relief only after establishing a "sustainable peace" and includes mechanisms to reimpose them if Russia violates any agreement. Kyiv also calls for the return of all deported and illegally displaced Ukrainian children, which the U.S. proposal does not mention. Read also: 'End policy of appeasement' — European foreign affairs chairs rebuke Trump's Russia stance While proposing concessions on core political issues, the U.S. plan does include conditions for Moscow. It demands that Russia return occupied in 2022 Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukrainian control, under U.S. oversight, to provide power to cities on both sides of the front line. The plan also calls for restoring Ukrainian control over the Kinburn Spit, providing secure passage across the Dnipro River, and reclaiming occupied areas of Kharkiv Oblast — around 200 square kilometers (77 square miles) currently held by Russian forces. On the economic front, the U.S. draft outlines a future agreement on cooperation and reconstruction, pledging financial support for Ukraine's recovery and infrastructure development. President has firmly rejected any peace terms involving territorial concessions. "This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine," he said on April 22. Ukraine has already accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposal introduced by the U.S. in March, provided Russia reciprocates. Moscow has so far rejected the ceasefire and continues offensive operations across the front. Despite promising to end the war swiftly, U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to impose new sanctions or take other steps to pressure the Kremlin. Read also: Trump says Crimea 'will stay with Russia,' blames Ukraine's NATO aspirations for war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
