Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

European leaders stressed that the 28-point plan proposed by the United States to end the war in Ukraine remains a preliminary draft and not a final settlement. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his country is caught between a rock and a hard place, forced to choose between "preserving its dignity or risking the loss of its most important ally." This came in a report by the Brussels-based European news network Euronews. According to the report, European leaders stated that they consider the 28-point US plan on Ukraine to be merely a "draft" and that it will require amendments to meet their demands.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, following a week of significant events and developments, the leaders indicated that the plan could form a basis for negotiations, but that work on it is not yet complete and that the current terms are not final. The leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron, expressed concern about proposals to reduce the size of the Ukrainian military in any settlement with Russia, stressing that any points relating to European and NATO security must first be approved by Europe and its allies.

The statement read: "We are concerned about the proposed restrictions on the Ukrainian armed forces and reiterate that the implementation of the EU and NATO elements will require the approval of the EU and NATO member states, respectively."

The statement was adopted by European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Finnish President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, and the prime ministers of Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and Poland.

The 27 EU leaders are scheduled to meet again on Monday to continue the discussion. A crucial week for Ukraine and Europe

Europeans and their allies are holding crucial meetings on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa to protect Ukraine from pressure to sign a hasty agreement that could leave Kyiv vulnerable to future attacks.

"Intensive diplomatic efforts" are underway, an EU official told Euronews, ahead of the deadline imposed by the United States on Ukraine to accept or reject the 28-point plan.

The same diplomat told Euronews that the pressure on Kyiv is "enormous" and that a group of countries supporting Ukraine, led by France and the United Kingdom, will present a counter-plan.

European concerns center on three main points: sovereignty, territory, and reparations for the Russian war.

The statement issued on Saturday asserts that borders cannot be changed by force, a rejection of the 28-point plan, which calls for significant territorial concessions from Ukraine, including the transfer of all of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk to Russia. In their statement, European leaders also stressed their rejection of any reduction in Ukraine's military capabilities, contradicting the American plan that proposes reducing the size of the army to 600,000 soldiers, compared to the approximately 900,000 currently maintained by Kyiv.

The Europeans and Ukrainians agree on the need to strengthen and increase the size of the armed forces in the future to counter any potential aggression. Meanwhile, the debate continues regarding the fate of frozen Russian assets in Europe, valued at approximately €140 billion. The European Union is exploring a mechanism to use these assets to issue an unprecedented compensation loan to Ukraine to cover its military needs and its budget for 2026 and 2027.

The American plan, reached after direct negotiations with Moscow, indicates that the frozen assets will be unfrozen and placed in two investment funds, one for Ukraine and the other for Russia, with the United States benefiting economically from both funds. Europe is expected to contribute approximately €100 billion to Ukraine's reconstruction. A European official, speaking to Euronews on condition of anonymity, said, "It's astonishing to see this level of economic brutality," noting that keeping frozen assets under European jurisdiction is a powerful tool in the bloc's hands. He added that the challenge lies in presenting an alternative plan without provoking the ire of former US President Donald Trump, who is seeking a quick agreement, describing the situation as "the most difficult hour."

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a televised address on Friday, asserted that Ukraine faces a stark choice: either preserve its dignity or risk losing US support