This is scandalous, said one. Trump's envoy needs a psychiatrist, said another. A third responded with only vulgar profanity. These were the reactions Politico received when it asked European diplomats and officials about the new American peace plan.

The famously well-connected newspaper interviewed a series of anonymous sources who find the US administration's new proposal to end the war in Ukraine outrageous. There is no visible conflict on the open stage yet, but negotiations are underway in the background: the German Chancellor spoke to Trump, Merz, Macron and Starmer spoke to Zelensky, and the three European leaders are still talking in person today at the G20. The rush is justified, as the US president is threatening to withdraw military aid if Zelensky does not accept the ultimatum within a week.

Under the terms of the draft, which excluded the Ukrainians and included the Russians, Ukraine would be forced to give up the territories it has occupied in the east of the country, reduce its military strength by half, and hand over its effective weapons. “For any peace plan to be successful, it needs the support of both Ukraine and Europe,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters. “The pressure should be on the aggressor, not the victim. Rewarding aggression only leads to more aggression.”

Apart from this statement, European leaders are largely waiting, and Zelensky has also said that Ukraine is still facing one of the most difficult decisions in its history: either they lose their dignity or American support. But he has not yet rejected the plan, nor has he sharply criticized it. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha, however, told European ministers at a closed-door meeting in Brussels that it was clear that Russia had dictated the new conditions.

“The point is that no peace plan can be implemented if it is based on appeasing the aggressor”

"This can only bring more war and brutality to Ukraine and all of Europe," he said, according to a person with direct knowledge of his remarks.

Several EU diplomats and officials told Politico that leaked proposals from Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, could ruin their chances of getting EU member states to approve a loan package based on frozen Russian assets. European leaders had hoped to finalize a so-called “compensation loan” deal at a summit next month that Zelensky has said could be a lifesaver. “The Europeans are dragging their feet trying to find a way to use the funds for the benefit of the Ukrainians, and Trump wants to profit from them,” one source said. “This proposal is likely to be rejected by everyone.”

One exception

Of course, the Hungarian government is not included in everyone. Viktor Orbán indicated in a letter to the European Commission that he ranks behind Trump. “Europe has two paths ahead of it. We can turn back from the impasse and finally the whole of Europe can stand behind President Trump’s peace initiative. Including the bureaucrats in Brussels. Of course, for this to happen, the pro-war leaders will have to face the fact that they have been burning the money of the European people in a losing war for the past three and a half years,” the prime minister wrote.

"In addition to supporting the US president, we must immediately initiate autonomous and direct negotiations with Russia," he added.

An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Intensive cooperation and coordination is underway between European leaders and non-EU partners to ensure that this support continues to be provided in light of recent developments.” However, Orbán stated in the letter that Hungary “does not support any form of further financial assistance from the European Union to Ukraine” and “does not support such a decision being made in the name and framework of the EU.”

The Hungarian government has long and consistently tried to block military and financial assistance needed to defend Ukraine, while fiercely opposing sanctions on Russia. (Politico 1, 2, 3)