Kremlin rejects European counter-proposal to US peace plan for Ukraine
Top Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov on Nov. 24 dismissed a proposal for peace in Ukraine drafted by European countries as "unconstructive" and said Moscow would not accept it.
"At first glance, it is completely unconstructive; it does not suit us," Ushakov told journalists when commenting on the reported peace plan put forward by the U.K., France, and Germany.
Kyiv's European partners reportedly pitched the plan as a counter-proposal to a 28-point document backed by the Trump administration, which was criticized for heavily favoring Russia.
A version of the European plan obtained by Reuters softened some of the harshest demands on Kyiv, including raising the limits on the Ukrainian military from 600,000 to 800,000 troops and dropping the demand for Ukraine to cede additional territory in Donbas.
The European plan also called for a ceasefire along the current front lines and sought U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, mirroring NATO's Article 5.
The French Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the news, while the German Foreign Ministry has not responded to the Kyiv Independent's request for comment.
While rejecting the European proposal, Ushakov acknowledged that many aspects of the U.S. plan, which had already been discussed during a summit in Alaska, are "acceptable" to Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said that Washington's 28-point plan could serve as a basis for further talks.
The U.S. plan prompted heavy backlash across European capitals and even from U.S. lawmakers, fueled by rumors that it had been authored by Russia.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump initially pressured Ukraine to sign off on the plan by Nov. 27, U.S. officials now signal that the deadline could be extended amid ongoing talks.
The proposal seemed to have undergone changes following consultations between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Geneva over the weekend, with both sides hailing the meeting as "productive."
According to the Financial Times' undisclosed sources, the revised plan has been reduced to 19 points, although it remains unclear which parts were removed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in Switzerland that Trump is "quite pleased" with the progress made.
Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office and the leader of the Ukrainian delegation, confirmed the two sides "made very good progress and are moving forward to a just and lasting peace."
"Is it really possible that big progress is being made in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine?" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "Don't believe it until you see it, but something good just may be happening."
Several media outlets reported that Zelensky could travel to the U.S. as early as this week to discuss sensitive aspects of the plan with Trump in person.
