Germany and other allies of Ukraine reject US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Russian war of aggression in its current form. The draft is a basis on which further work needs to be done, they made clear in a statement after a crisis meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
After the meeting, at which Japan, Canada and Australia were also represented, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) said on behalf of the Europeans: “Wars cannot be ended by great powers over the heads of the countries involved.” There can only be an end to the war if Ukraine fully agrees.
Meeting with USA on Sunday in Geneva
The Europeans will make their first attempt to make their own contribution on Sunday in Geneva. Representatives from Germany, France and Great Britain as well as the EU will then talk to the USA and Ukraine about the plan. The meeting will take place at the level of advisers to the heads of state and government.
Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, who is currently also President Donald Trump’s security policy advisor, is expected from the USA. However, there was initially no official confirmation of this.
According to information from the German side, the Europeans have already sent the USA a paper with proposed changes to the peace plan. Details were not known.
Ukraine crisis talks weigh on actual G20 summit
Even before the meeting of the most important industrialized and emerging countries (G20) under the South African chairmanship began, it was clear that the Europeans wanted to use the meeting to agree on how to help Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump has given Zelensky a deadline of next Thursday to agree in principle. US Vice President JD Vance responded sharply to criticism of the plan: “Peace is not achieved by failed diplomats or politicians living in a fantasy world.”
Merz: Trump’s initiative offers an opportunity for an end to the war
Despite European reservations, the Chancellor declared that there was currently a chance to end the war. However, we are “still quite a long way away” from achieving a good result together. He also made this clear during the phone call with Trump on Friday evening.
The goal of the Ukraine allies is to negotiate what they see as unacceptable concessions to Russia from the Americans’ 28-point plan. The US proposal, for example, stipulates that Ukraine also cede previously defended areas to Russia, limit its military capabilities and that NATO declare a renunciation of any expansion.
Russia, on the other hand, would only have to make comparatively small concessions and, among other things, forego state assets frozen in the EU. This would be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Zelensky’s dilemma
According to Ukrainian President Zelenskyj, if Ukraine rejects the plan, it risks losing the USA as a key partner. Without support from the largest military power, which sells weapons to Ukraine and provides data for waging war against Russia, continuing the defensive fight against the invaders would be significantly more difficult.
Vance and Putin are on the same page
Russian President Vladimir Putin believes the 28-point plan is a basis for achieving peace. Russia attacked Ukraine on Putin’s orders on February 24, 2022.
Vance accused the plan’s critics of ignoring the true situation in the war. On
Putin also accuses the Europeans of being ignorant of the situation. They would have no real information about the situation on the battlefield. Russia will achieve its goals militarily.
US boycott of the summit
The USA is boycotting the first G20 summit on African soil and therefore cannot be addressed directly in Johannesburg. Trump complains about discrimination against white minorities in South Africa, especially the so-called Afrikaners, who are descendants of Dutch settlers. South Africa rejects the allegations as unfounded. Experts also see them as unjustified.
South Africa is pushing through development issues despite the Ukraine crisis
Because of the crisis talks, the actual summit topics took a back seat. Nevertheless, the G20 round adopted the final declaration negotiated by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. He once again called for more cooperation in solving global problems such as the climate crisis and the widening gap between rich and poor in the world. The host had set the main topics of “solidarity, equality and sustainability” for the G20 presidency.
South Africa does not want to symbolically hand over the G20 chairmanship to the USA
The US will host the G20 summit next year, although it will boycott the meeting in Johannesburg. South Africa does not want to symbolically hand over the annual G20 chairmanship on Sunday, as the presidential spokesman said. The handover is planned for next week in the capital Pretoria.
The G20 group includes 19 states, the European Union and the African Union. The G20 summit is planned for next year in Miami.
