Geneva, Switzerland: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in Geneva that elements of the proposed American peace plan for Ukraine concerning the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) have been set aside for separate negotiations with the two blocs.
Speaking at a news conference following talks with Ukrainian negotiators, Rubio described the U.S. plan as a “living, breathing document” that continues to evolve. He explained that “items that involve both Europe and NATO” were put on “a separate track” for discussion with allied leaders.
The move comes after EU leaders expressed disagreement with a range of provisions in Washington’s initiative on Saturday. Germany, in particular, voiced concern and reportedly began working on “diplomatic countermeasures.”
Leaked details of the US-proposed plan, which aims to end the nearly four-year-old conflict, contain several highly controversial provisions. Under the draft, Ukraine would have to recognize Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, Donbass, Kherson, and Zaporozhye territories in return for American and European security guarantees.
Furthermore, the plan reportedly calls for a significant reduction in the size of the Ukrainian army, a ban on long-range weapons, and the prohibition of foreign troop deployment on its soil. It also suggests that Russian should become an official state language in Ukraine and provides for the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
While the U.S. and Ukraine continue to negotiate the framework, the exclusion of EU and NATO concerns from the current phase highlights the diplomatic friction between Washington and its European allies over the terms of the proposed settlement.