[By Guancha Observer Wang Yi] After a brief meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican, whether Ukraine and Russia can cease fire and how they might do so have become focal points of attention. On the 28th, the BBC reported that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius advised Ukraine not to heed Trump's latest proposal, which suggested giving up much of its territory in exchange for a ceasefire, calling it "tantamount to surrender."

On the 27th, Pistorius told Germany’s public broadcaster ARD that Ukraine knew it might have to give up some territories to achieve a ceasefire, but they certainly would not go as far as or should not go as far as the proposal made by the US president.

Pistorius stated, "Ukraine could have obtained what was included in the president's proposal a year ago, which is tantamount to surrender. I see no added value."

Screenshot of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius

Trump had previously stated that after three hours of talks between US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk and Putin on the 25th, Russia and Ukraine were "very close" to reaching an agreement.

According to a report by Reuters on the 25th, this agreement includes the US legally recognizing Russia's control over Crimea and de facto recognizing Russian control over the occupied areas in eastern Ukraine. The American proposal also excludes Ukraine's potential NATO membership and plans for a "voluntary coalition" led by Britain and France to provide security guarantees to Ukraine without American involvement after a ceasefire.

This proposal has sparked strong responses from Ukraine and the EU. Zelensky said he has ruled out the possibility of recognizing Crimea as Russian territory. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell told AFP on the 22nd that the EU would never recognize Crimea as Russian territory. "Crimea is Ukrainian," Borrell said, adding that admitting Crimea as part of a ceasefire agreement would be a mistake. She also stated that the US should seek to apply pressure on Russia instead of succumbing to the Kremlin's demands.

Recently, the Trump administration has been exerting increasing pressure on both Ukraine and Russia. US Secretary of State Rubio told NBC on the 27th that the Trump administration will decide this week whether to continue negotiating to resolve the Ukraine-Russia issue or shift focus to other matters.

Rubio said, "We must determine whether we should continue to engage in this effort or redirect our energy to other equally important or even more important issues," "But we want to see it happen; we have reasons to remain optimistic, but of course we also need to stay realistic," "We are very close, but not quite there yet."

The New York Times reported on the 27th that Rubio did not disclose more details about the negotiation progress. It remains unclear whether his timeline was intended to pressure Ukraine and Russia into directly negotiating an agreement or if the Trump team is seriously considering withdrawal.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov hinted on CBS, which aired on the 27th, that an agreement would soon be reached. Lavrov stated, "We are ready to reach an agreement, but there are still specific details—some elements of the agreement need fine-tuning."

Zelensky has repeatedly refused territorial concessions, stating that land issues can be discussed again after a ceasefire agreement is reached. On the 26th, after meeting with Trump at the Vatican, he expressed gratitude to the US president on social media, calling the meeting "highly symbolic," which could become a historic meeting if they achieve common results. Zelensky revealed that he and Trump discussed security guarantees for Ukraine after a ceasefire.

Leaders of the US, UK, France, and Ukraine talk during the funeral of the Pope on April 26. Social Media

The New York Times reported that another photo on the day showed Trump, Zelensky, French President Macron, and UK Prime Minister Starmer having a conversation. The leaders of the UK and France emphasized that once negotiations resolve the issue, allied nations urgently need to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. Zelensky agreed that this was crucial, but the Trump administration insisted it should be done by Europeans rather than Americans.

Reuters reported that Ukraine and Europe jointly drafted their own proposal in response to the peace agreement proposed by the Trump administration. Compared to the American proposal, Ukraine's proposal hopes to delay discussions on territorial issues until after a ceasefire and does not mention recognizing Russian control over any Ukrainian territory. Ukraine does not want to restrict its military development, but it also will not restrict allied nations from stationing troops in Ukraine.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498171618867298835/

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