Europe stands united as 20 parliaments warn against Ukraine peace deal favoring Russia
European Union (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The heads of the foreign affairs committees of 20 European parliaments issued a joint warning, stating that no peace that rewards Russian aggression can be acceptable for Europe, according to a post on X by Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament, the Riigikogu.
The statement emphasizes that the way the Russia–Ukraine war ends will define Europe’s security for decades to come, as it concerns the fundamental and existential interests of all states on the continent. The signatories emphasized that peace must be just and lasting, grounded in international law, and must ensure full respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The parliamentarians noted that achieving such a peace is impossible through concessions to Russia, as this would only encourage Russia to take new actions.
“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, and nothing about Europe without Europe,” the statement emphasizes.
It also stresses that genuine negotiations cannot begin with demands for Ukraine to pre-accept Russian conditions. The signatories stated that the era of empires is over, and therefore, Europe will never recognize as legitimate any Russian claims to spheres of influence or security interests beyond the borders of Russia.
The authors also focused on the issue of security. They stated that security guarantees for Ukraine within a potential agreement must be legally binding and backed by the deployment of deterrent forces and capabilities capable of preventing new aggression. Any restrictions on Ukraine regarding the size of its army or its foreign policy were deemed unacceptable. At the same time, Russia must, at a minimum, withdraw troops from all occupied territories and cooperate with international institutions in investigating war crimes.
The statement underscores that Ukraine’s sovereignty, its right to independently choose allies, and holding the aggressor accountable are red lines that Europe cannot and will not cross.
Negotiations on a peace plan for Ukraine
On Sunday, November 23, consultations were held in Geneva between the US, Ukraine, and Europe to make the document more favorable for Kyiv.
Following the talks, Ukraine and the US prepared an updated and revised framework peace document and agreed to continue intensive work on joint proposals in the coming days.
