Ukraine discussing three separate documents with US and Europe, Finnish President says
Photo: Finnish President Alexander Stubb (GettyImages)
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that peace for Ukraine is closer than ever since the start of the full-scale war. According to him, discussions are currently underway on three separate documents, Bloomberg reports.
"We’re quite close," he said, adding that the negotiations concern three separate documents.
The first is a framework document, which, "as of yesterday’s conversation" among European leaders, "stands as a 20-point plan."
"The original 28-point plan included elements of a future European security structure which in my mind were completely unacceptable," Stubb emphasized.
The second document, discussed among the administration of US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian, and European officials, concerns security guarantees for Ukraine.
The Finnish President distinguished between "hard security guarantees and security arrangements." He added that the latter involves the so-called Coalition of the Willing.
Stubb noted that the third document concerns the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war ends.
US peace plan
The US has not yet made the official contents of its peace plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war public. At the same time, Western media reports that its initial version contained 28 points.
According to unofficial sources, the draft included strict demands for Ukraine. In particular, it reportedly required Kyiv to withdraw the troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, effectively handing them over to Russia without a fight.
The plan also allegedly included a ban on Ukraine joining NATO - the country would have to legally enshrine a neutral status.
According to Axios, during Saturday's talks with US President Donald Trump's advisers Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Zelenskyy discussed two key issues: territories and security guarantees. Sources say the first topic is complex, but there has been progress on the second.
Specifically, on December 2, the Ukrainian leader emphasized that security guarantees are one of the three most sensitive issues in negotiations between Ukrainian officials and the US.
On Monday, December 8, the leaders of Germany, France, and the UK, during a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London, stressed the need for a "just and lasting" peace.
According to Bloomberg, European leaders are trying to persuade Zelenskyy not to agree to a possible withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas without reliable security guarantees from the US.
On December 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and the EU have finalized a peace plan to end the war and are ready to send the document to the US in the near future.
