US representatives after the meeting with officials and ambassadors of EU countries in Kyiv stated that Washington will not show 'flexibility' in discussing the 'peace plan.' A European official described the tone of the event as 'nauseating,' DW reports.
Washington is not intending to show 'special flexibility' in discussing President Donald Trump's 'peace plan,' said US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll at a meeting with Ukrainian and European officials, as well as ambassadors. The event took place on Friday, November 21, at the residence of the Chargé d'Affaires of the US in Ukraine, Julie Davis, in Kyiv. According to the British newspaper Financial Times (FT), one high-ranking European official described the tone of the meeting as 'nauseating.'
Addressing the Europeans, Driscoll stated that he is optimistic and believes that 'the time for peace has come.' At the same time, the secretary emphasized: 'We are not discussing the details (of Trump's plan - Ed.).' As Driscoll noted, 'the US armed forces love Ukraine and support it, but, in the honest assessment of the US military, Ukraine is in a very bad position.'
Davis also made statements at the meeting. 'No matter how much we support Ukraine in its ongoing war, there are limits. <...> There are also strong grounds to believe that Russia has a powerful industrial base, and it is only a matter of time before Ukraine has to strike a deal,' one of the ambassadors present at the event quoted her. Together with Driscoll, Davis reiterated Trump's statement that Ukraine should accept the 'peace plan' by November 27.
EU ambassadors and officials found the US position 'shocking'
According to one European official, those present at the meeting got the impression that the US is exploiting Zelensky's political weakness amid the corruption scandal in the country to try to quickly achieve a peace agreement.
Some ambassadors from EU countries described the US plan as a strategic victory for Russia. In response, Davis stated that one million dead Russian soldiers (as FT indicates, this is a US estimate - Ed.) since the beginning of the full-scale war in 2022 cannot be called a victory.
At the end of the meeting, the ambassadors stated that instead of concluding a peace agreement, pressure on Russia needs to be intensified. In response, US representatives said that the proposed conditions of the 'peace plan' are the best that Ukraine can hope for.
After the meeting in Kyiv, European leaders rushed to organize negotiations at the G20
The event at the residence of the Chargé d'Affaires of the US in Ukraine has activated negotiations among European leaders gathered at the G20 summit in Johannesburg. Meetings, which included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, continued late into the night.
Participants in the negotiations were trying to find a way to convince the US president to soften the requirement for Ukraine to accept the 'peace plan.' 'It's time for those whispering to Trump to start shouting,' one official informed about the discussions told FT.
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