Western leaders say Ukraine plan needs work

Western leaders said on Saturday that a peace plan proposed by the United States can be a basis for talks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine but needs “additional work,” part of Western efforts to eke out a better deal for Kyiv before a Thursday deadline.

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LEADERS pose for a family photo on the first day of the G20 Leaders' Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 22.

(REUTERS/YVES HERMAN/POOL)

Meeting on the sidelines of a Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa, European and other Western leaders scrambled to come up with a coordinated response to US President Donald J. Trump’s demand for Ukraine to accept his 28-point plan by Thursday.

Mr. Trump said in brief remarks on Saturday that his proposal was not his final offer, signaling potential room for adjustments as Ukraine and its European allies stressed that the plan could serve as a foundation for negotiations but required changes.

The European and other Western leaders agreed that national security advisers from the E3 — France, Britain and Germany — would meet European Union (EU), US and Ukrainian officials in Geneva on Sunday for further discussions.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was en route to Geneva late on Saturday for the talks, a State Department official said. Italy would also send an official, diplomatic sources said.

Washington’s plan, which endorses key Russian demands, was met with measured criticism from many US allies. Leaders sought to balance praise for Mr. Trump’s attempt to end the fighting with recognition that some terms in his proposal are unpalatable for Kyiv.

“The initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace,” said the leaders of the EU, Germany, France, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland, Italy, Japan and Norway.

“We believe therefore that the draft is a basis which will require additional work,” they said in a statement.