European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement on Sunday as U.S. officials were discussing Washington’s proposal with EU and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva, Switzerland. In a statement published on X, von der Leyen specifically rejected all the conditions set out in the U.S. plan. She stated, “We have agreed on the main elements necessary for a just and lasting peace and Ukraine’s sovereignty,” adding that Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed “by force” and that no limitations can be placed on Kiev’s military.
The EU’s refusal to accept the U.S. plan has raised tensions, especially with the recent leaks about Trump’s involvement in shaping the terms. Bloomberg reported that the EU was seeking to essentially rewrite the U.S. plan by disguising major changes to it as “constructive updates.” The bloc was also reportedly trying to “buy Ukraine more time” and postpone the American deadline set by Trump for Thursday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has suggested that Ukraine is facing a difficult choice: either accept the 28 points in the U.S. proposal or risk losing its key partner during a harsh winter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow had received the American plan, stating that it could serve as “the basis of a final peace settlement” but has yet to be discussed in “detail.” This development has left the diplomatic landscape in a state of flux, with multiple actors—Washington, Brussels, and Kyiv—engaged in a complex negotiation process for a resolution to the ongoing conflict.