G20 leaders reject Trump peace plan: Anger at US deal as critics warn it will leave Kyiv at mercy of Russian attacks

Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders put themselves on a collision course with Donald Trump last night after he rejected the US President’s peace plan to end the war in Ukraine.

They said the proposals, which critics claimed were clearly in favor of Russia, would leave Ukraine ‘vulnerable to attack’ and could not be accepted in their current form.

According to the White House-Kremlin plan, Ukraine will give up territory its troops have defended since February 2022, including the eastern Donbas region, and reduce the size of its army. Sanctions against Russia will be lifted and, more importantly for Vladimir Putin, the country will be ‘reintegrated into the global economy’.

As part of Mr. Trump’s plan, no NATO troops would be stationed in Ukraine, foreign warplanes would be allowed to base only in Poland, Ukrainian troop numbers would be capped at 600,000 troops, a 25 percent cut, and it would be banned from having long-range weapons that could reach Russia.

Sir Keir, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were among the leaders who made a joint statement at the G20 summit held in South Africa, emphasizing that the US President cannot make demands regarding NATO and the EU without their consent and adding that ‘the borders cannot be changed by force’.

Sir Keir told reporters he was concerned about plans to limit the size of the Ukrainian army, adding: ‘We are concerned about that because it is very important that Ukraine can defend itself in the event of a ceasefire.’

While critics described the proposals as a betrayal of Ukraine, former prime minister Boris Johnson said the 28-point plan amounted to ‘military castration’.

Former Royal Anglian Regiment soldier Shaun Pinner, who fought on behalf of Ukraine against Russian forces in Mariupol, described the plan as ‘surrender under the guise of diplomacy’. He added: ‘This is disgusting. ‘I’m sick with anger.’

Sir Keir spoke to Mr Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last night and may seek to act as a bridge between Europe and the US to translate the proposals into a more suitable plan.

Mr Zelensky said: ‘We had a long conversation and discussed many nuances of diplomatic work in planning the peace process.

‘Coordination will continue and I am grateful to the British community for their support.’

Mr. Merz said that in his phone call with Mr. Trump, he made clear that Europe must be part of any process to end the war. He added: ‘If Ukraine loses this war and possibly collapses, that will have an impact on European politics as a whole and the entire European continent, and that’s why we’re so committed to this issue.’

Asked yesterday if the plan was his final bid to end the war, Mr Trump said: “No, it’s not my final bid.” We want to achieve peace. This should have happened a long time ago. We have to put an end to this, one way or another.’

US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said: ‘No deal is perfect, but it needs to be done sooner rather than later.’

US officials have told their NATO allies that they will force Zelensky to accept the agreement by threatening that he will face a much worse deal in the future if he does not sign it. Mr. Trump has given until Thursday to make his decision.

Delegates from Kiev, alongside UK and European officials, will hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Geneva, Switzerland, today.

Mr. Zelensky said he would work around the clock to find a way but would not betray his country.

Sir Keir said the focus was now on Geneva and added: ‘We need to see how far we can go on this.’

As part of Mr. Trump’s plan, no NATO troops will be deployed in Ukraine and the country will be forced to give up territory its troops have defended since February 2022.

Mr. Zelensky said he would work around the clock to find a path to peace but would not betray his country in a final solution.

Number 10 said, ‘We want a ceasefire and we are striving for it.’ However, he insisted: ‘Support to Ukraine cannot be compromised.’

US Vice President JD Vance responded to critics of the agreement and said that peace will be achieved by ‘smart people living in the real world’, not ‘failed diplomats or politicians living in fantasy worlds’.

He emphasized that the White House’s approach was based on pragmatic diplomacy rather than unrealistic expectations, adding: ‘Any criticism of the peace framework… either misunderstands the framework or misrepresents some critical facts on the ground. There is a fantasy that if we give more money, more weapons, or more sanctions, victory will be imminent.’

Sir Keir’s spokesman denied Britain had been excluded from Mr Trump’s peace talks and underlined the ‘excellent relationship’ between the leaders.