The European E3 powers – Britain, France and Germany – drafted a counter-proposal to the US peace plan of 28 points for Ukraine, Reuters reported.
The accuracy of the text was confirmed by a European official and a diplomatic source, who spoke to CNN’s chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh.
One of the officials said the document accurately reflected European attempts to modify the US draft, but it is possible that additional changes were made during the accelerated negotiations in Geneva today.
Among the key changes in the counter-proposal is a softening of the wording related to limiting NATO in Europe.
The European version also removes the mention of territorial concessions. In the US draft, Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk were explicitly recognized as de facto under Russian control. The new European proposal deletes all such references. He demands a ceasefire before discussing territorial exchanges, and proposes the current front line as the basis for further negotiations.
The Europeans also threw out the 100-day deadline for holding elections in Ukraine, stating that the elections will be organized “as soon as possible” after the signing of the peace agreement.
The European proposal removes all references to US-Russian investment structures and switches to an approach where Russia would pay reparations to Ukraine.
It also said that the size of Ukraine’s military would be “capped at 800,000 in peacetime”, which corresponds to the current number of military personnel, compared to the 600,000 limit in the US plan.
(Vijesti.ba)
