European leaders warn ‘additional work’ on US peace plan needed before Kyiv can accept terms

Kyiv’s European allies have warned Washington that the peace plan for Ukraine it drew up with Russia required “additional work” before it could be adopted, according to a statement issued on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday.

The statement, which was signed by Ukraine’s closest EU partners, as well as the UK, Canada, and Japan, noted that while the White House’s 28-point draft plan contained “important elements” for a “just and lasting” peace, it also fell short in several key areas.

“We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force,” the statement read. “We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine’s armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.”

The statement was issued following meetings organised in Johannesburg on Saturday to review the White House’s proposals ahead of a high-stakes summit between European, US and Ukrainian negotiators in Geneva on Sunday.

“An end to the war can only be achieved with the unconditional consent of Ukraine,” German Chancellor Freidrich Merz told reporters on Saturday. “Wars cannot be ended by great powers over the heads of the affected countries”.

French President Emmanuel Macron praised the US peace plan for recognising “important elements” such as security guarantees, but maintained it would “require broader consultation,” as it touched on key European issues such as the use of Russia’s frozen assets and Ukraine’s path to EU membership.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, meanwhile, stressed that Kyiv’s European partners would continue to be guided by the core principle: “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine”. US President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday night that the 28-point plan was not his “final offer,” but maintained that peace “one way or the other” needed to be achieved quickly.

A number of senior figures are expected to take part in the Geneva meeting, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, with just days remaining until the Thursday deadline given to Kyiv to accept the plan.

Under the 28-point plan, Ukraine would cede the whole of Crimea and Donbas to Russia, while the present line of contact in Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions would be frozen, essentially granting Moscow de facto control of large areas of both.

In return, Ukraine would be provided with “reliable security guarantees” by the US and European-backed air defences operated from Poland. Moscow would be invited back into the G8, and $100 billion in frozen Russian assets would be channelled into US-led reconstruction projects in Ukraine, with Washington taking a 50% share of the profits.