Europe and US found common ground on Ukraine peace plan - German FM
Photo: Johann Wadephul, German Foreign Minister (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Europe and the US have already found common ground on changes to the 28-point peace plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, according to The Guardian.
Rutte noted that the US remains in NATO because the alliance provides it with the direct security needed for the future.
Wadephul, for his part, called on people "not to put things in doubt which nobody puts in doubt in Washington." According to him, doing so would only benefit Moscow and Beijing.
The German minister also emphasized that Europe must "be engaged with the US more than before."
Wadephul said that the 28-point plan no longer exists. He explained that Europe had some influence over it when it was first published and that it was discussed with the American side. He noted that he had spoken with Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy, and discussed the points with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He added that now there is a new plan - a 20-point plan that has been significantly revised.
Wadephul recalled that Europe and the US had also managed to find a common position on defense spending when European countries expressed their readiness to aim for a target of 5% of GDP.
Peace plan for Ukraine
The first version of the US peace plan contained unacceptable conditions for Ukraine, including giving Russia control over the Donbas.
Ukrainian officials held several rounds of negotiations with their American counterparts. After these discussions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that they had managed to work out 20 points of the peace plan.
