Trump awaits Kyiv's response to ideas on Crimea and NATO abandonment - WSJ
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
This week, the United States expects Kyiv to respond to ideas for ending the war. In particular, to the refusal to join NATO and the possible recognition of Crimea as Russian, The Wall Street Journal reports.
According to Western officials, the ideas were outlined in a confidential document that senior Trump administration officials presented to the Ukrainian side in Paris on Thursday. They were also shown to European officials at a one-day meeting.
The US is now awaiting Kyiv's response, which is expected at a meeting of US, Ukrainian, and European officials in London later this week. Then, if the three sides agree, the proposals can be passed on to Moscow.
Ideas proposed by United States
The ideas presented by the United States in Paris included several aspects. Among them:
- excluding Ukraine's accession to NATO;
- declaring the area around the nuclear power plant a neutral territory that could be controlled by Washington.
At the same time, according to Western officials, the ideas put forward by representatives of the Trump team do not meet many Russian demands. In particular, the United States does not recognize that Russia has the legal right to control four regions in the eastern part of Ukraine (Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions). At the same time, Washington does not demand that Russian troops leave these areas. Bloomberg previously reported that the United States would consider recognizing Crimea as Russian.
WSJ writes that adopting some of the Trump administration's ideas could prove difficult for Kyiv, as Ukraine has refused to recognize that Russia has a legitimate claim to any of its territory.
Also, according to the agency, the United States does not propose to limit the number of Ukrainian troops and does not rule out Western military support for Kyiv or the deployment of European troops in the country.
Ceasefire in Ukraine
Earlier, the media reported that US President Donald Trump intends to end the war in Ukraine by April 20.
Last Saturday, April 19, Russia's Vladimir Putin declared a so-called Easter truce that was in effect from the evening of that day until the beginning of today. It meant the suspension of all hostilities.
The so-called ceasefire was indeed in the air, and there was no alarm in any region, at least on Sunday. However, the situation at the front was different. Although there was less combat activity, the fighting continued.
In response to the announcement of the so-called truce, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed several times to extend the ceasefire for 30 days. Later, at least silence in the air. However, there was no response from Moscow. It is also important to note that the US State Department responded and said it would welcome an extension of the ceasefire.
That night, Donald Trump expressed hope that Ukraine and Russia would conclude a deal this week. He did not specify what kind of agreement, but most likely it was a peace agreement.
