WP: US will offer Kiev to recognise Crimea as Russian and freeze the front line

At a meeting in London on 23 April, the USA will propose that Ukrainian and European officials recognise Crimea as Russian and freeze the front line as part of a peace agreement. The Washington Post quoted its own sources as saying.

The publication reports that at a meeting in Paris on 17 April, the Ukrainian delegation received a secret document with a proposal to settle the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In the document, the USA proposes to stop hostilities along the current front lines and recognise Crimea as part of Russia.

Washington Post sources specified that the plan also provides for the cancellation of sanctions against Russia. In exchange for this, Moscow should stop military operations in Ukraine at a time when the Russian army has superiority both in the number of troops and in weapons.

An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there were points in the US proposals that Ukraine agreed with and some that were rejected. The Western official emphasised that the US pressure on Ukraine was significant. All the interlocutors wished to remain anonymous.

It is noted that Ukraine's allies hope to receive security guarantees and reconstruction programmes for the country in exchange for any territorial concessions. French, British and German negotiators, who are playing an increasingly active role in the peace talks, plan to defend Ukraine's position in London.

Europe will insist that any agreement include security guarantees and post-war reconstruction programmes - possibly partly at the expense of frozen Russian assets," WP wrote.