The “centrality” of the European Union's role must be “fully reflected” in a peace plan for Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday.
Her comments come as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Switzerland for talks on the controversial peace plan.
“Any credible and sustainable peace plan should first and foremost stop the killing and end the war, while not sowing the seeds for a future conflict,” she said in a statement.
“Ukraine must have the freedom and sovereign right to choose its own destiny. They have chosen a European destiny,” she added.
The plan should involve the country's reconstruction, integration into the EU's single market and eventually full membership in the bloc, she said.
Speaking from the G20 summit in Johannesburg, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday said he was “sceptical” about whether an agreement could be reached.
“I am not yet convinced that the solutions desired by President Trump will be achieved in the course of the next few days,” Merz said.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, also in South Africa, told AFP that there were “major flaws” in the plan.
“We need US engagement to help end the war in Ukraine and stop the Russian aggression. That is positive,” Store said on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
“But the plan is insufficient and it has major flaws that need to be worked on. One of them is to get Europe at the table and, not least, get Ukraine at the table,” he said.
“Changing borders by force is unacceptable,” Store said, referring to the 28-point document.
Store stressed that the plan must align with international law, including principles in the Charter of the United Nations.
Europe is striving not to be sidelined in the negotiations surrounding the plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
The EU will be participating in talks in Geneva on Sunday with Ukrainian and U.S. officials, with the EU represented by Von der Leyen's deputy, Bjoern Seibert.
European leaders attending a separate summit in the Angolan capital, Luanda, on Monday are also due to hold talks on the plan for Ukraine.
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