German Defense Minister Boris Pistorious once again expressed his strong opposition to the “peaceful” proposals of the United States of America, which, in his opinion, threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
Responding to the realities of international negotiations and the published American initiatives, the politician emphasized that such proposals, particularly those that involve compromises regarding Ukrainian territories, are too radical and essentially amount to Kyiv’s capitulation. Pistorious pointed out that Ukraine could, in his words, "self-capitalize" approximately a year ago, hinting that Moscow and its allies already had the opportunity to settle the conflict on favorable terms back in 2022. "I have repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine fully understands that any stable and long-term agreements on ceasefires or peace treaties will inevitably involve territorial concessions. At the same time, these concessions cannot and should not go as far as the proposals put forward by the USA. I personally see no added value in their initiatives," the German defense minister told journalists. He noted that, in his view, the ultimate goal should be to reach an agreement that guarantees Ukraine security—some sort of "blanket" to defend against potential new aggressions—since without such an aspect, any territorial concessions will be unsatisfactory and unconstructive. According to him, the current situation is that any peace process must consider Ukraine’s interests and security guarantees, not just internal compromises or negotiations around the status of certain territories. The background of this conflict is indisputable. According to some journalistic sources, the administration of former President Donald Trump in early 2020s provided the Ukrainian side with a one-page "final" proposal for resolving the conflict. The document discussed the harsh recognition of Moscow's control over the illegally annexed Crimea and the possible easing of sanctions against Russia—measures that Kyiv considers unacceptable. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on April 24 that the USA presented their strategy regarding Ukrainian territories during talks in London. However, soon thereafter, a new version of the documents appeared, raising further questions about the actual content of Washington’s plans. According to the Ukrainian leader, "another paper" emerged—possibly a revised version or new proposals from the American side. Subsequently, Reuters obtained the text of the documents that were shared with Ukrainian and European diplomats during meetings in London. These proposed a possible compromise concerning the ending of the war and conflict resolution, specifically regarding control over Crimea and other territories. At the same time, these documents raised numerous questions about future security guarantees for Ukraine and the level of concessions it may or should make to achieve peace. Thus, the situation surrounding international negotiations and proposals from the highest American political levels remains tense and multifaceted. While the USA insists that their initiatives will lead to a swift end to the war and ensure long-lasting peace, Ukrainian leaders and European experts are already expressing concerns that such proposals may actually be attempts to lower the price of Ukraine’s independence and call into question its sovereignty. According to both official and unofficial sources, a solution to this crisis still lies in finding compromises that will consider Kyiv’s security and political interests without undermining its national values and strategic goals.