European officials rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calls that Ukraine give up territories annexed during the war on Saturday — demanding an immediate ceasefire from Moscow and NATO membership for Kyiv.
The counter-offer demands rock-solid security guarantees for Kyiv — namely the long-coveted membership in NATO for the war-torn country before any territorial concessions, European officials familiar with the talks told the Wall Street Journal.
Ukraine has been seeking NATO membership since 2008 — eyeing it as a shield against future Russian aggression.
European officials have rejected Vladimir Putin’s demands that Ukraine give up its territories annexed during his war, pushing their own proposal ahead of the meeting between President Trump and the Russian leader. ZUMAPRESS.com
The counter-offer demands rock-solid security guarantees for Kyiv, including NATO membership, before any territorial concessions. APAImages/Shutterstock
If Putin were to attack a NATO member it would compel all others member countries to respond with military force — under its defense pact — a move that could ignite a global war.
The European plan – put forward by the UK, France, Germany and Ukraine — also proposes that any land exchange must be reciprocal. If Ukraine removes troops from some regions, Russia must pull out of others.
And a cease-fire agreement would need to be reached before any other steps are taken.
“You can’t start a process by ceding territory in the middle of fighting,” one European negotiator told the WSJ.
Earlier this week, Putin told US Special Envoy Steve Wikoff he would agree to end the war in exchange for the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, according to the Journal.
It’s one of five regions in the south of Ukraine currently under the Russian strongman’s control that’s been targeted by constant air strikes since the start of the more than three-year-olf conflict.
Russia currently has full control of the neighboring Lunhask region as well as the Crimean peninsula, but the annexations are not internationally recognized and considered illegal under international law.
The deal is meant to serve as a framework for negotiations between Putin and President Trump in Alaska on Friday. AP
Two other regions, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are under partial Russian occupation.
The European proposal was presented Saturday in the UK to senior US officials that included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and Witkoff.
The deal is meant to serve as a framework for negotiations between Putin and President Trump in Alaska on Friday.
“The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X.