US peace plan under fire: Critics slam Russia concessions
The German press has commented on the details of the US plan for ending the war, as revealed by American media. The plan supposedly allows Russia to retain the gains from its aggression.
The German press doesn't shy away from critiquing the US plan for ending the war. Under the plan, Ukraine would need to accept the separation of its occupied territories (Crimea and four regions), abandon its NATO candidacy, and pass control of a nuclear power plant to US supervision. After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced he wouldn't recognize the occupation of Crimea, Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his visit to the planned summit in London, causing the meeting to be called off.
FAZ: "A misguided idea"
"The plan for ending the war in Ukraine presented by the American government is a misguided idea," writes the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung." "If Donald Trump indeed gave up efforts to end the fighting, Moscow would lose nothing. Even if this leads to no normalization of relations with Washington as desired by the Kremlin, Putin would be in a better position than before," the Frankfurt-based newspaper comments.
"The American proposals almost exclusively burden Ukraine, showing that Kyiv has virtually lost its most powerful ally to date. The cracks in the Western alliance will deepen due to these developments. Moreover, which is a win from Putin's perspective, Trump undermines US authority by showing how easily he can be manipulated," the article states.
"A nasty blow"
"The American ideas for a ceasefire in Ukraine mirror those forecasted by a minority of the German public just a few months after the war broke out. Firstly, Washington, not Kyiv, will decide to end the war. Secondly, Ukraine will have to concede Crimea and lost territories in eastern Ukraine. Thirdly, Kyiv’s hopes for NATO membership are dashed," enumerates "Volksstimme" from Magdeburg in Saxony-Anhalt.
"For Ukraine and its Western allies, these are nasty blows, akin to a sledgehammer to the head. In large part, this war with its millions of victims and substantial material losses was unnecessary. This reflects the harsh reality that even in the 21st century, those with superior military power can impose their will on others. Ultimately, Russia's ruler Vladimir Putin can thus trample international law with impunity. The only person who could genuinely stop him, his American counterpart Donald Trump, has long since returned to business as usual," the paper asserts.
"Where is the noisy pacifist Trump?"
"Where is now that noisy pacifist Donald Trump, who just a few months ago declared he would end Russia's criminal war against Ukraine within 24 hours? This question naturally arises, especially after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's sudden cancellation, which reduced the London meeting to an advisory group. But the situation is too serious for jokes," writes "Stuttgarter Nachrichten".
"The crucial point is that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who unilaterally started this war and could end it instantly, shows no interest in peace, but plenty of interest in gain. This situation is further complicated by the struggles of Ukraine's allies to reach a consensus with it and among themselves regarding an offer acceptable to Putin. What could possibly be acceptable? Anything that Putin receives, especially in terms of land and people, would effectively reward his crimes," notes the Stuttgart newspaper.
