Some US allies are highly alarmed by the framework the Trump administration is pushing to end the Ukraine war and Europeans are bracing for the outcome of another round of high-level talks between the US and Russia, multiple diplomatic sources told CNN.
The administration’s framework, presented in Paris last week, proposes significant sacrifices from Kyiv, including US recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and Ukraine ceding large swaths of territory to Russia, according to an official familiar. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday called “to freeze the territorial lines at some level close to where they are today.”
Asked what concessions Russia was offering on Thursday, Trump replied, “stopping the war,” suggesting that not “taking the whole country” is a “pretty big concession.”
Multiple allied diplomats said they are rattled by what the Trump administration is proposing, because they believe such a framework sends a dangerous message to Russia’s Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, that illegal conquest could be rewarded, multiple diplomats said.
“This is about the fundamental principles of international law. This is very much about our own existence and the weakening of any safeguards that my or other countries have for our own independence,” an Eastern European diplomat told CNN. They and other sources spoke on background to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters.
“If one country in Europe is currently under pressure or being forced to give up parts of its own legal territory, territory that has been that has been recognized as part of Ukraine … if one country in Europe is forced to do that, no country in Europe or elsewhere can feel safe, NATO or no NATO,” the diplomat said.
The proposal for a de-facto US recognition of Crimea as part of Russia would reverse years of US policy affirming that, despite Russian occupation, Crimea is Ukrainian territory. European officials say they would not follow suit – leaving the US isolated.
Asian allies too are growing concerned about an end of war agreement that would reward Russia after the deadly conflict.
In private discussions with US partners, Asian diplomats have clearly articulated their concerns about the global implications of a settlement that violates Ukraine’s borders.
“China is watching. We have told the Trump administration that. We are worried about the message they might take away from any end to the war that appears to award Russia for the bloodshed,” said one Asian diplomat.
All eyes are now on the expected meeting between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin on Friday, which comes after sources say progress was made in talks with European, Ukrainian and US officials in London Wednesday. However, many Europeans fear that the progress might not be fast enough to satisfy Trump’s ambitions for a quick end to the war.
There are also concerns about what kind of additional promises Putin may make to Witkoff to garner favor with the US as European leaders warn that the Russian president is not to be trusted.
Officials are wondering what level of pressure will be applied on Witkoff’s fourth trip to Russia given the US’ desire for a quick end to the war and the US envoy’s past echoing of Putin’s arguments.
Trump on Thursday morning expressed dissatisfaction with the Russian leader after a deadly barrage of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv, saying that they were “not necessary, and very bad timing.”
“Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!,” he wrote on TruthSocial.
Hours later, however, the US president said he believed both Russia and Ukraine want peace.
However, Trump has lashed out at Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky, on far more occasions using much stronger language than when he has criticized Putin.
