Ukraine's Ambassador to US confirms removal of amnesty clause from US peace plan
Olga Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States of America (photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine succeeded in removing from Donald Trump's proposed peace plan a controversial amnesty clause that had raised significant concerns about justice and Russia's accountability, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Olga Stefanishyna, said in an interview with DW.
According to her, after a round of negotiations in Geneva, the Ukrainian delegation reached several fundamental agreements on a future peace deal with Russia.
Olga Stefanishyna noted that Ukraine, in particular, succeeded in securing the removal of the so-called full amnesty clause from the peace plan proposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump as part of negotiations to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
This clause was the most contentious and had sparked a wave of criticism and speculation within Ukrainian society.
"There was a lot of speculation about this point on amnesty, and I can definitely say that it is not part of these 19 points. So this point is not there because it's extremely arguable, and it's an issue about justice," Stefanishyna emphasized.
The removal of this provision means that Russia and its military can still be held accountable for war crimes committed against Ukraine.
In addition, the ambassador praised the work of the chief US negotiator, Dan Driscoll, highlighting his "very right moral compass" and deep understanding of the battlefield situation. According to her, Driscoll will visit Kyiv in the near future to continue consultations.
Stefanishyna stressed that the negotiation process is ongoing: the Ukrainian team has already departed for Moscow, and the next rounds of discussions are expected to clarify the sides' positions on the remaining points of the peace plan.
US peace plan
Discussions around Trump's proposed peace plan to end the war in Ukraine have been ongoing for the second week. Washington reports noticeable progress in the negotiations, while Kyiv is awaiting a meeting with the US president to agree on several key points — in particular, those related to territory.
In addition, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll held talks with the Russian side in Abu Dhabi the day before. The plan under discussion now consists of 19 points, down from 28.
