Bloomberg: Russia seeks major changes to US-backed Ukraine peace plan

Russia aims to push for significant revisions to the latest US-backed peace plan intended to end its war in Ukraine, including tighter restrictions on Kyiv’s military, according to a source close to the Kremlin.  

Moscow sees the 20-point blueprint developed by Ukraine and the US as merely a starting point for negotiations, citing missing provisions important to Russia and unresolved questions, the source said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, Bloomberg reports.  

While Russia considers the current plan a standard Ukrainian proposal, it will review it cautiously, the source added.  

President Vladimir Putin has yet to comment on the proposals, which were drafted over weeks of talks involving US, Ukrainian, and Russian officials.  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on December 23 that differences remain with Washington over territorial matters and the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, seized by Russia in the early stages of the 2022 invasion.  

Russia’s concerns reportedly include guarantees against NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s neutral status even if it joins the EU. The plan also lacks Russian demands on the size and capabilities of Ukraine’s postwar armed forces, and fails to provide assurances on the Russian language in Ukraine.

Additionally, Moscow seeks clarity on the removal of sanctions and the status of hundreds of billions in frozen Russian state assets abroad.

By Jeyhun Aghazada