European supporters suggest counter-offer before Alaska discussions

(MENAFN) Several European nations have teamed up with Ukraine to put forward a “counterproposal” for resolving the conflict with Russia, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed European officials. The plan was quickly drafted after US President Donald Trump confirmed he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next Friday.

According to the report, Ukraine, the UK, France, and Germany rushed to respond to a proposal reportedly discussed during a Wednesday meeting in Moscow between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin. Media claims suggest that plan would require Ukraine to hand over the entire Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) to Russia. Moscow claims the DPR, along with the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions, as part of its territory after 2022 referendums, though it fully controls only the LPR.

On Saturday in the UK, top aides to European leaders presented their joint plan to US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and Witkoff joining via video link.

The European-backed proposal reportedly insists on a ceasefire before any further negotiations — the opposite sequence of steps favored by Moscow. It also calls for a strictly “reciprocal” exchange of territory, coupled with “ironclad security guarantees” for Ukraine, potentially including NATO membership — a scenario the Kremlin has repeatedly said is unacceptable.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky reiterated Saturday that the country’s borders are defined in its constitution and that “nobody can or will” compromise on them. His remarks came after Trump suggested that any peace deal would likely involve “some swapping of territories.”

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