Finland together with 13 other countries and organisations on Saturday voiced concerns over the US draft peace plan to end Russia´s war in Ukraine and viewed that the plan will require additional work.
The leaders of the countries and organisations in a joint statement at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg said that the initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace but raised concerns over border changes and caps on Ukraine’s army.
“We believe therefore that the draft is a basis which will require additional work. We are ready to engage in order to ensure that a future peace is sustainable,” said the leaders in the joint statement released by the President Office.
The leaders said that they are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force.
“We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack,” said the leaders in the statement.
They reiterated that the implementation of elements relating to the European Union and relating to NATO would need the consent of EU and NATO members respectively.
“We take this opportunity to underline the strength of our continued support to Ukraine. We will continue to coordinate closely with Ukraine and the US over the coming days,” the statement added.
The statement was signed by the leaders of United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, Finland, Spain, Norway, Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, European Council and European Commission.
“In the margins of the G20 in Johannesburg, we discussed with our key partners from Europe, Canada and Japan on the next steps towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” President Alexander Stubb wrote in a post on his social media platform X.
He also wrote that before the meeting the leaders participated in call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, colleagues from Nordic and Baltic countries and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a 28-point plan for peace between Russia and Ukraine, international media reported November 19.
It proposes to hand over those areas of Ukraine’s industrial eastern Donbas region still under Ukrainian control to the de facto control of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, international media reported.
It also calls for Ukraine to cut the size of its armed forces to 600,000 people.
Trump on Friday set Nov. 27 as the deadline for accepting a 28-point peace plan proposed by his administration to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Delegations from Ukraine and the United States will hold consultations in Switzerland in the coming days on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement with Russia, Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Saturday.