US-proposed peace deal ‘hard to swallow’ for Zelensky
The current US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff package “doesn’t seem to include US-backed security guarantees,” The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius wrote
The current US option for a settlement in Ukraine ‘would be hard for Vladimir Zelensky to swallow,’ The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius wrote.
“The current [US presidential special envoy Steve] Witkoff package would be hard for <…> Vladimir Zelensky to swallow. But the dealbreaker might be that it doesn’t seem to include US-backed security guarantees.
Instead, Ukraine would apparently be left to fend for itself with assistance from European nations, but probably without the US ‘backstop’,” the article said.
“European officials have told me that without American help, their military and intelligence support won’t be sufficient to protect Ukraine after a peace agreement.
The Europeans don’t have enough troops or modern weapons to deter an all-out Russian attack. They lack the command-and-control systems needed to monitor a ceasefire and coordinate a response,” Ignatius pointed out.
According to him, the toughest problem for Europe is insufficient intelligence capabilities. “Kiev last month managed to survive a six-day cutoff in US intelligence support, intended to squeeze concessions from Zelensky.
But if it had gone on another week, Ukrainian officials are said to believe the consequences would have been disastrous,” the article emphasized.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that the US authorities are ready to recognize Crimea as Russian territory as part of the peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev.
According to the agency, such a move shows US President Donald Trump’s desire to achieve a ceasefire and settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. The final decision has not been made yet.
The news agency also emphasized that on Thursday, Washington presented its allies in Paris with proposals for a Ukrainian settlement.
Among them are the easing of sanctions against Russia and the refusal to discuss Kiev’s membership in NATO.
In addition, the US draft implies that all territories liberated by Russia will remain under Russian control. Discussion of these plans will continue next week in London.
