måndag 24 november 2025

Marco Rubio

The biggest differences between Europe's and the US's peace plans

Oskar Forsberg

Updated 21.47 | Published 21.17

The US presented a list of 28 points ahead of the peace talks in Switzerland.

Europe has now countered with its own list.

Here are the ten biggest differences between the proposals.

Negotiations regarding peace between Russia and Ukraine are to be held in Switzerland in the coming days.

Ahead of the peace talks, the US came up with a list of 28 points. A draft of the list was leaked in advance and was criticized for being too accommodating to Putin. President Donald Trump has since opened up to changing the proposals. He told a reporter the other day.

Trump has demanded that Kiev give its decision by Thursday.

After the US list was presented, Europe has countered with its own list of 28 points. It differs from the US one in several ways.

See the fact box for the ten biggest concrete differences:

Here are the most important points where the European peace plan deviates from the US peace plan:

1. The US demanded that NATO not expand, but Europe deletes that point completely.

The US plan states:

"It is expected that Russia will not invade neighboring countries and that NATO will not expand further."

2. The US is putting a lot of pressure on Ukraine to cede territory, while Europe is much softer and postponing the issue to future negotiations

The US plan has clearer wording about Russian territorial gains.

The EU is not forcing Ukraine to cede land immediately — it is postponing the issue.

3. The US wants to quickly reintegrate Russia, while Europe links reintegration to sanctions and compensation

Europe demands that:

Russian assets remain frozen
Ukraine should be compensated by Russia first
Reintegration is “progressive”
G8 re-entry only as a final step

The US wants to “normalize” Russia more quickly in its plan.

4. The US demands less from Russia regarding non-aggression policies, Europe demands that Russia legislate on a non- aggression policy

Europe writes:

“Russia should legislate on a non-aggression policy”

5. The US is more restrictive about Ukraine's military future . Europe also sets limits but gives stronger security guarantees

Both want to limit Ukraine's army (800,000), but:

EU gives "robust security guarantees"
US is stricter and more conditional

6. US plans larger bilateral US–Russia agreements, while Europe demands that cooperation be multilateral

Europe wants:

A joint security force (US, EU, Ukraine, Russia)
A joint peace monitoring
A joint committee

US is clearly more bilateral (US-Russia).

7. US prioritizes NATO-related restrictions, but Europe emphasizes EU-integration for Ukraine

Europe explicitly says:

"Ukraine is eligible for EU membership."

The US does not mention this at all.

8. The US plan has fewer humanitarian demands, while Europe includes extensive humanitarian demands in s proposal

The EU demands:

All children to be returned
All civilian prisoners to be released
Family reunification
Exchanges “all for all”
Compensation for victims of the conflict

The US does not have such a detailed humanitarian point.

9. The US wanted to keep nuclear energy under Russian control. Europe wants to share Zaporizhzhia 50/50 under the IAEA

This is one of the biggest practical differences.

10. The US has stronger demands that Ukraine be ”neutral”, while Europe dose not take Ukraine's freedom of choice

Europe clearly states in its proposal:

EU- membership: OK
Nato-medlemskap: kräver konsensus (neutral formulering)

The US is more restrictive.

Strikes out several points

In short, the US plan is more pro-Russia than the EU is comfortable with. Europe’s counter-plan is much more pro-Ukraine.

The US plan includes several demands that Ukraine cede territory, while Europe removes several points from the US plan, including a US demand that NATO not expand.

The US proposal also includes demands for permanent “neutrality” for Ukraine and focuses on quickly integrating Russia into the world economy again. Europe instead demands continued EU integration for Ukraine and that Russia compensate Ukraine before the country’s frozen assets are thawed.

The European plan also removes or softens points that force Ukraine to make territorial concessions.

The European proposal differs from the US when it comes to Ukraine’s future army. It allows for a larger army and also gives the country partial control over the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhia.