European leaders are making a forceful case for their full participation in ongoing negotiations over the future of Ukraine and the fate of Russia’s frozen assets, following the leak of a controversial US-Russia draft peace plan that stunned officials across the continent. The plan, first hammered out without European involvement, has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity as EU leaders insist on their right to decide on matters directly impacting the bloc’s interests—from sanctions to the use of seized Russian Central Bank funds.
The 28-point draft, originally drawn up by American and Russian officials, proposed a sweeping settlement for the war in Ukraine. According to BBC, the plan included deeply contentious provisions: Ukraine would cede control of key areas in the eastern Donbas region still under its authority, creating a demilitarized buffer zone recognized internationally as Russian territory. The draft also called for Kyiv to limit its armed forces to 600,000 personnel—down from the estimated 880,000 active troops Ukraine maintained as of January 2025. Perhaps most controversially, the plan suggested the release of $100 billion in frozen Russian assets, with the US receiving half of the profits from their investment in Ukraine’s reconstruction, and Europe expected to match that sum.
For many in Europe, these terms were simply unacceptable. As Euronews reported, the draft’s provisions on sanctions, territorial concessions, and military restrictions alarmed EU leaders, who saw them as heavily tilted in Moscow’s favor. The proposal even included a clause giving Russia a veto over Ukraine’s NATO membership, and called for the recognition of Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk as de facto Russian territories by the United States. European officials were also aghast at the idea of unlocking frozen Russian assets for commercial gain by the US, describing it as "economic brutality" that would undermine Brussels’ efforts to secure reparations for Ukraine.
In response, European leaders convened a special session on the sidelines of the European Union-African Union summit in Luanda, Angola, on November 24, 2025. European Council President António Costa spoke candidly after the meeting: "There is a new moment in these negotiations. The United States and Ukraine informed us that the discussions were constructive and that progress was made on some issues. We welcome this step forward and some issues remain to be resolved, but the direction is positive." He emphasized, "Issues that directly concern the European Union, such as sanctions, enlargement or frozen assets, require full involvement and decision-making by the European Union."
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, echoed these sentiments, underscoring the EU’s centrality to any future settlement. She insisted that any peace agreement must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, and that decisions about the size of its armed forces must be left to Kyiv. "The territory and sovereignty of Ukraine must be respected. Only Ukraine, as a sovereign country, can make decisions regarding its armed forces. The choice of their fate is in their hands," von der Leyen declared, as reported by Telegrafi. She also called for the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russian occupying forces and stressed the importance of the EU’s role in Ukraine’s post-war future.
The initial US-Russia draft was widely seen as a non-starter in Kyiv as well. President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking on November 24, warned that allowing Moscow to seize territory by force would set a "dangerous precedent" and break the principle of territorial integrity. Ukraine’s UN representative Khrystyna Hayovyshyn was even more blunt: "There will never be any recognition formal or otherwise of Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation as Russian. Ukraine will not accept any limits on its rights to self-defense or on the size or capabilities of our armed forces."
Despite the uproar, the Geneva talks that followed on November 23 brought some signs of progress. According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the 28-point draft had "evolved" after discussions with Ukrainian and European officials. "I can tell you that the points that remain open are not insurmountable. We just need more time than what we have today. I honestly believe we will get there," Rubio told reporters. He acknowledged that certain items—particularly the fate of Russian assets—would require separate negotiation with EU and NATO allies. Rubio also signaled flexibility on the Trump administration’s Thanksgiving deadline, saying, "Our goal is to end this war as quickly as possible, but we need a little more time."
European leaders, meanwhile, have been working to reshape the plan in Ukraine’s favor. The European proposal, seen by Euronews, insists on a ceasefire, removes the Russian veto on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, and asserts that frozen Russian assets should be used to compensate Ukraine for war damages. The plan also hints at NATO-like security guarantees for Kyiv, though without specifics. Leaders such as Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson and Lithuania’s Gitanas Nausėda have called for the swift approval of a reparations loan for Ukraine, funded by seized Russian assets held in Europe. "EU and US sanctions are destroying the Russian economy, but the pressure on Russia must increase," Kristersson said. "The next step we need to take is to seize frozen Russian assets held in bank accounts in European countries. The money should be used to strengthen Ukraine’s defense and to pay for the damage that Russia has caused to Ukraine."
For its part, Russia has played coy, with officials claiming on November 24 that they had not seen any updates to the peace plan following the Geneva talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the draft could be the "basis" for a settlement, but the Kremlin has also insisted that any agreement address what it sees as the "root causes" of the war—chiefly, halting NATO expansion in Eastern Europe. The leaked plan’s provision barring Ukraine from joining NATO and requiring Kyiv to enshrine this in its constitution appears to address this demand, though Ukrainian officials have made clear they will not accept any infringement on their sovereign right to choose alliances.
The EU, Ukraine’s largest supporter, has already provided more than 187 billion euros in aid since the full-scale invasion began and granted Ukraine candidate status for EU membership. As von der Leyen put it, "We must remain united and continue to put Ukraine’s best interests at the centre of our efforts. This is about the security of our entire continent, now and in the future."
With the US, Russia, Ukraine, and the EU all trying to shape the outcome, the fate of the peace plan—and the future security architecture of Europe—hangs in the balance. One thing is clear: European leaders have no intention of being sidelined in decisions that will reverberate for decades to come.
