According to Ekios, senior US officials will meet with their counterparts from Ukraine, France, Germany, and the UK in Paris on Saturday to discuss Donald Trump’s peace plan. Axios reports there may also be a phone call to Trump during the talks, though the White House has not confirmed this.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, quoted by The Guardian, highlighted a high level of cooperation between Europe and the US, emphasizing the need for even closer collaboration on a peace settlement for Ukraine.
One of the main points under discussion is the creation of a 30% "grey" demilitarized zone in Donetsk region. Participants are also to recognize Russian control over Crimea and the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, but without formal legal recognition of these territories as Russian. The plan provides for the possibility of future diplomatic changes to their status.
The new document proposes freezing the situation in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions at the current line of contact, and calls on Russian forces to withdraw from Ukrainian territories except Crimea, Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Control over the demilitarized zone remains unresolved. President Zelensky stated the US is considering assuming control over the zone, while Ukrainian and Russian forces are to be withdrawn beyond its administrative borders.
There is ongoing debate over security guarantees. European countries are reportedly seeking guarantees from the US, but Trump is said to be unwilling to provide NATO Article 5-type assurances. Legal recognition of territories controlled by Russia and concrete security guarantees for Ukraine remain open issues.
Examples from other world conflicts (India-Pakistan, Israel-Gaza, Congo-Rwanda) illustrate the difficulties and limited efficacy of peace plans when underlying causes are not addressed.
