European officials have rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands that Ukraine give up its territories annexed during his war, pushing their own proposal instead.
The counter-offer demands rock-solid security guarantees for Kyiv, including NATO membership, before any territorial concessions, European officials familiar with the talks told the Wall Street Journal.
The European plan – put forward by the UK, France, Germany and Ukraine — also proposes that any land exchange must be reciprocal. If Ukraine gives up some regions, Russia must pull out of others.
And a cease-fire agreement would need to be reached before any other steps are taken.
The proposal was presented Saturday in the UK to senior US officials that included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
The deal is meant to serve as a framework for negotiations between Putin and President Trump in Alaska on Friday.
“The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X.
<
