Ukraine war: is there a new peace plan?
According to media reports, negotiators from the US and Russia have drawn up a 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine. The news website Axios and the Financial Times say the plan provides security guarantees for Ukraine, but also foresees territorial and political concessions on the part of Kyiv. As with Trump's Gaza peace plan, Turkey and Qatar are said to have been involved in the drafting, with no representatives of Ukraine or the EU.
Where words don't meet deeds
The Daily Telegraph is incensed:
“Seldom has there been a more glaring and cynical contrast between public words and private actions. Even as Donald Trump was voicing his exasperation with Vladimir Putin and sanctioning Russia's biggest oil companies, the emissaries of both leaders were continuing to bargain over the future of Ukraine. The emergence of a 28-point peace plan, apparently agreed between Russia and America, lifts the veil on these contacts. ... Like a recurring nightmare, Ukraine and the rest of Europe once again face the prospect of Mr Trump joining hands with Putin to force a settlement down Volodymyr Zelensky's throat.”
Don't let Ukraine be forced to capitulate
Marko Mihkelson, Member of Parliament for the Estonian Reform Party, warns in Postimees:
“The (secret) direct talks between the US and Russia (Steve Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev) cannot in principle lead to a JUST peace in Europe. The result would be a partial or complete surrender by Ukraine. Kyiv cannot agree to this. Any kind of negotiations on the future of Ukraine and Europe without the participation of Ukraine and Europe (should it happen) would be a dead end. Estonia is a European state, and we and like-minded countries cannot and must not under any circumstances accept capitulation to Russian aggression. Negotiations with war criminals do not lead to peace.”
Washington easing the pressure on Moscow
Corriere della Sera complains:
“Donald Trump's White House was supposed to impose the first sanctions against the Russian oil sector tomorrow. That won't happen now, at least not in certain key areas. ... At the last minute, the Trump administration has quietly extended the deadline for the sale of all foreign assets belonging to the two Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil from tomorrow to 13 December. These assets remain attractive for American companies, but the White House prefers to ease the pressure.”
Hopefully not just smoke and mirrors
The negotiations between the US and Russia are advancing even if the information provided so far is very sketchy, Radio Kommersant FM observes:
“It cannot be ruled out that this whole affair is just a smokescreen. Something may indeed be in the works, and for that the ground needs to be prepared and public opinion swayed. But there is nothing concrete. All of this is in the spirit of Donald Trump, whose favourite trick is to put on a show and promote the idea of his own unpredictability. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that things are moving forward. So we can expect new sensational revelations. Let's just hope they don't turn out to be smoke and mirrors.”