Trump's deal alarms EU - and risks disaster for Kyiv

We’ve been here before: the Trump administration announces a roadmap to peace in Ukraine that seems to be dramatically skewed towards Moscow’s demands; Volodymyr Zelenskyy gets on the phone to alarmed European allies; they quickly call Trump to tell him that the whole idea is unworkable; the plan quietly dies. Rinse and repeat. This time it feels a bit different, however.

- Luke Harding KYIV and Shaun Walker

After details of a 28-point US-Russian “peace plan” were leaked last week, which demanded Ukraine hand over territory to Russia, limit the size of its army and agree not to pursue the Kremlin for alleged war crimes, days of frantic diplomacy ensued.

By Monday Ukraine had significantly amended the US-backed document, removing some of Russia’s maximalist demands, people familiar with the negotiations said, as European leaders warned that no deal could be reached quickly. It seemed possible that Zelenskyy could meet Donald Trump in the coming days, amid a flurry of calls between Kyiv and Washington. Ukraine was also pressing for Europe to be involved in the talks.

The original 28-point US-Russian plan was drawn up last month by Kirill Dmitriev, Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, and Trump's representative Steve Witkoff. It called on Ukraine to withdraw from cities it controls in the eastern Donbas region, limit the size of its army, and not join Nato.

During negotiations last Sunday in Switzerland - led by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak - the plan was revised, to include only 19 points.

Kyiv and its European partners said the existing frontline must be the starting point for territorial discussions.