US 'peace plan' is a list of Kremlin demands – Austrian expert

Reinhard Kloucek, president of the Pan-European Movement of Austria, stated this in comments to an Ukrinform correspondent regarding the U.S. administration's "peace plan" published in the media.

"This is not a peace plan but a Russian list of demands. Whatever prompted the United States to propose such a plan, President Trump is calling into question America's claim to be the leader of the free world," Kloucek said.

In particular, he criticized provisions of the plan that effectively strip Ukraine of its sovereign right to determine its own security policy.

"Of course, NATO is completely free to decide whether to admit a given country to the Alliance. But requiring Ukraine to pass a law banning NATO membership contradicts the right of every sovereign state to freely choose its alliances," he said.

He also added that the document contains no real mechanisms for restraining Russia or guarantees that Moscow would comply with any agreements at all.

"The question of how the plan envisages compelling Moscow to actually guarantee any possible peace remains entirely unanswered. Moscow is known for having violated practically every agreement it has ever signed," Kloucek said.

In his opinion, the European Union must take a clear position and step up its support for Ukraine, avoiding decisions that legitimize aggression or set dangerous precedents for the international order.

"The EU must now show strength and, together with Ukraine, continue to stand up for freedom. The mutual assistance obligation enshrined in the EU treaty is stronger than the NATO treaty," Kloucek said.

Earlier, U.S. media outlets reported that the Trump administration had held secret consultations with Russia to develop a new plan for ending the war in Ukraine. According to Axios, the plan includes 28 points and is divided into four broad categories: peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, security in Europe, and the future of U.S. relations with Russia and Ukraine.

According to media reports, Kyiv is expected to give up Ukrainian-controlled areas of Donbas, reduce its army, and relinquish a significant portion of its weaponry. The plan envisages that the transfer of the remaining territories of Donbas would take place in exchange for U.S. security guarantees for Kyiv and Europe, though the mechanism for these guarantees is not clearly defined.

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