EU rebuffs US-Russian peace plan for Ukraine amid calls for continued support

EU foreign ministers convened in Brussels today to discuss a proposed US-Russian peace plan for Ukraine, which reportedly calls for Kyiv to reduce its military capabilities and hand over territory, including areas not currently under Russian control.

The EU quickly rejected the plan and called for billions more in aid for the war-torn country.

EU security chief Kaja Kallas emphasized Europe’s long-standing commitment to a just and lasting peace. “For any plan to work, it needs Ukrainians and Europeans on board. That is very clear. We must also understand that in this war there is one aggressor and one victim. We haven’t seen any concessions from Russia. If Russia truly wanted peace, it could have agreed to an unconditional ceasefire long ago,” Kallas said.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Szijjarto highlighted ongoing concerns over Ukraine’s military situation and governance. “The issue is not that Ukraine will push back Russia, but that Russia continues to occupy more and more Ukrainian territory. Sanctions have not brought the Russian economy to its knees. To say that time is on Ukraine’s side is an illusion,” he said.

Amid a major corruption scandal involving the Volodomyr Zelenskyy government, Szijjarto also called for an immediate halt to all payments to Ukraine. “We need to know where European taxpayers’ money has been spent. Global media reports on a corrupt system-a ‘war mafia,’ the most moderate term I can use. It’s crazy that the President of the European Commission sends a letter to member states asking for another 100 billion euros for Ukraine. Are we crazy?” he added.