Ukraine and Russia are closer to agreement than ever before during war, - Stubb
Finnish President Alexander Stubb believes that a potential agreement to end the Russian-Ukrainian war is "closer than ever in recent years," but notes that this does not mean it will be reached in the near future.
According to Censor.NET, citing a link to "European Truth," he said this during a panel discussion with former NATO Secretary General and current Norwegian Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
Closer than ever
"I think we are closer to a peace agreement than we have been since the war began, including during the negotiations in Turkey a few weeks ago. But can I say that we will achieve peace in the near future? No. But I can say that we are quite close," Stubb said.
He recalled that the initial version of the 28-point "peace plan" proposed by the Trump team was categorically unacceptable.
You have to be careful in the final stages
"But now we are approaching the point where it may become acceptable... I am quite positive about where we are now – but we must be cautious in these final stages. After all, we all know that since 1991, Russia has wanted "a conversation about a new security architecture in Europe," and we know what that would mean," Stubb noted.
According to him, European states have emphasized from the outset that everything related to European security or NATO should be discussed with allies, just as everything related to the EU and Ukraine's membership should be discussed with EU members.
The US peace plan: what is known
The White House administration has prepared a framework document that is proposed as a basis for ending the war. The first version contained 28 points. The plan aims to call for an end to the war on terms that include compromises from Ukraine, security guarantees, political agreements, and certain concessions.
According to publicly available information, the plan includes, among other things:
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withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of the Donbas region, even those currently controlled by Ukraine;
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restrictions or reductions in Ukraine's armed forces – the first version of the plan proposed reducing the size of the army;
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renunciation of key categories of weapons and reduction of military support from the US;
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equating the Russian language with the status of an official state language in Ukraine and granting special status to religion/the church (mentioning the legalization of structures associated with the Russian church);
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providing Ukraine with security guarantees—similar to the provisions enjoyed by countries protected from attack, if an agreement is concluded.
Following criticism and discussions—both from Ukraine and its European allies—some of the points have been changed: the new version now has around 20 points instead of 28.
Representatives of Ukraine and the US are holding consultations - they will try to "finalize" the text and agree on the basic principles of a peaceful settlement.
However, some of the terms of the plan—particularly territorial concessions and restrictions on the Armed Forces of Ukraine—are considered unacceptable by the Ukrainian side without significant changes.
