November 22- Ukraine’s partners in Europe, Canada, and Japan have raised concerns about a US-backed proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, saying the draft “requires additional work”.
In a joint statement, they acknowledged that the plan contains elements “essential for a just and lasting peace”, but voiced unease over potential border changes and restrictions on Ukraine’s military capabilities.
Senior security officials from the UK, France, Germany, the US, and Ukraine are now set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday for further discussions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier warned that Ukraine was facing “one of the most difficult moments in our history”, amid what he described as US pressure to accept the plan — leaked details of which appear to favour Moscow.
US President Donald Trump has given Kyiv until 27 November to respond to the 28-point framework, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has said it could serve as a “basis” for a settlement.
The joint statement, issued Saturday at the G20 summit in South Africa, was endorsed by the leaders of Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, Germany, and Norway, along with two senior EU officials.
“We believe that the draft can serve as a basis but will require additional work,” the statement read. “We are ready to engage to ensure any future peace is sustainable. We remain firm in the principle that borders must not be altered by force.
“We are also concerned about proposed limits on Ukraine’s armed forces, which could leave the country vulnerable to future aggression.”
The signatories added that any provisions relating to the EU or NATO would require approval from their respective members.
According to widely leaked details, the US plan calls for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the parts of eastern Donetsk they currently control, while accepting de facto Russian control over Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea — the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
It also proposes freezing the front lines in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, both partially occupied by Russian forces.
Under the draft, Ukraine’s military would be capped at 600,000 personnel, and European fighter jets would be stationed in neighbouring Poland. Kyiv would receive “reliable security guarantees”, though the specifics remain unclear. The document also states that Russia “is expected” not to invade its neighbours and that NATO would cease further expansion.
The proposal further suggests Russia’s reintegration into the global economy, including the lifting of sanctions and an invitation to rejoin the G7 — once again forming the G8.
