No reward for the aggressor Europeans reject parts of Trump's plan for Ukraine
The US plan for an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in its current form is being rejected by Ukraine's European allies. From a European perspective, Trump's demands reward the aggressor.
22.11.2025, 17:11
dpa
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- Germany and other leading supporters of Ukraine reject the US plan for an end to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in its current form.
- Although the current draft is a basis, further work must be done on the plan, according to a statement published after a crisis meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
- They are prepared to get involved to ensure that future peace is sustainable.
Although the American peace efforts were welcomed, the plan was a basis that still needed to be worked on, according to a joint statement issued by the heads of state and government of the EU, Canada and Japan on Saturday. They are ready to engage to ensure that a future peace is sustainable.
"We clearly adhere to the principle that borders must not be changed by force. We are also concerned about the proposed restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks," the statement continued. Any decision regarding NATO and the EU would have to be agreed by the member states.
Also smaller round with Merz, Macron and Starmer
On the sidelines of the summit of the 20 leading industrialized and emerging economies in Johannesburg, European heads of state and government as well as representatives of Canada, Australia and Japan met on Saturday for a crisis meeting on US President Donald Trump's Ukraine plan. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed ways to support Kiev separately, according to a source.
According to critics, the US proposals demand major concessions from Kiev, while numerous demands from Moscow would be met. Among other things, Ukraine is to cede territory to Russia that it is currently successfully defending, reduce the size of its army and refrain from joining NATO. In return, Moscow should commit to refraining from further attacks on its neighboring country in the future.
In his evening address on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepared his compatriots for "one of the most difficult moments in our history". The country may be faced with the choice of either "losing its dignity or taking the risk of losing an important partner", he said with regard to support from the USA. Trump has given Kiev until November 27 to respond to his plan.
Ukraine and European partners are in a quandary
US President Donald Trump wants Ukraine to essentially accept the plan by next Thursday. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Ukraine risks losing the USA as a key partner if it rejects the plan.
Without the support of the largest military power, which sells weapons to Ukraine and provides data for the war against Russia, it would be much more difficult to continue the defensive fight against the invaders.
The situation is also dicey for Germany and Ukraine's other European partners. They fear that a peace plan that rewards the aggressor will not bring lasting peace to the continent. At the same time, they are also keen to see an end to the war in view of the tense financial situation and a population in many countries that is weary of support. According to information from Brussels, the European Union and its member states alone have already spent more than 187 billion euros on supporting Ukraine.
