As the war in Ukraine grinds into its fourth year, the European Union finds itself thrust into the diplomatic spotlight amid a backdrop of frustration and finger-pointing.
With U.S. President Donald Trump’s ambitious peace initiatives hitting repeated roadblocks – exemplified by the postponement of a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest – the EU has been under fire for its perceived passivity. Critics, including voices within Ukraine and across the Atlantic, have lambasted Brussels for lacking a coherent strategy, accusing it of “scrambling to make itself relevant” only when American efforts falter.
In this vacuum, a leaked 12-point European peace plan has emerged as a potential counterweight, offering a pragmatic blueprint that prioritizes an immediate ceasefire over territorial concessions. nitiated by Finland and circulated among over 20 pro-Ukraine EU capitals, the document – tentatively titled “Elements Towards Peace In Ukraine”- signals a daring, if imperfect, attempt by Europe to seize the initiative.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb is closely associated with the 12-point European peace plan for Ukraine, though he has publicly downplayed claims of unilateral Finnish initiation in favour of describing it as a collaborative “coalition of the willing” effort.
The timing could not be more precarious. U.S. intelligence assessments, as reported by NBC News in late October 2025, paint a grim picture: “Russia shows no willingness to end war in Ukraine as peace efforts stall,” with Putin intent on battlefield victory rather than compromise.
The United States cancelled a planned Budapest summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russia’s firm stance on hardline demands regarding Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Friday.
The decision came after a tense call between the two countries’ top diplomats, the FT said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Plans for a summit in Budapest this month between Trump and Putin were put on hold after Moscow stuck to demands, including that Ukraine cede more territory as a condition for a ceasefire.
European diplomats, speaking anonymously to Bloomberg, described the U.S. approach as a “lone ranger” effort, with Trump faulting Europe for not stepping up sooner. This criticism echoes broader rebukes: A Chatham House analysis in March 2025 urged the EU to “make its own plan for peace in Ukraine – and rouse its people to the threat from Russia,” warning that without a unified European vision, Putin would exploit transatlantic divisions.
Enter the EU’s 12-point framework, exclusively obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and leaked on 28 October. Far from a finalized treaty, the plan structures its proposals around two phases – ceasefire and negotiations – aiming to “pause Russia’s war in Ukraine within just 24 hours,” as Euromaidan Press summarized based on the RFE/RL reporting.
“The cease-fire should begin 24 hours after the parties accept the plan,” RFE/RL detailed, freezing the current front line to halt advances while mandating the return of all abducted Ukrainian children and a full prisoner-of-war exchange. Monitoring would kick in immediately under U.S. leadership, leveraging satellites, drones, and other technologies – potentially via a “Trump-chaired ‘Board of Peace,’” a nod to recent Gaza proposals.
This “ceasefire first” ethos, RFE/RL emphasized, aligns with European insistence since Trump’s Kremlin talks began, rejecting Russia’s demands for preemptive territorial cessions.
The plan’s second phase ventures into thornier terrain: long-term security and reconciliation. Ukraine and Russia would commit to an “indefinite non-aggression pact,” barring Kyiv from militarily retaking occupied areas like Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—though the EU and Ukraine would refuse to recognize these as Russian.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant would transfer to a neutral third party, such as the IAEA, before reverting to Ukrainian control. International security guarantees for Kyiv – NATO-like but short of full membership – would pair with cultural measures to “strengthen mutual understanding of languages, cultures, and religions,” a point RFE/RL flagged as controversial.
Eastern EU officials told the outlet it “plays up Russian allegations, often regarded as baseless, that Russian-language speakers in Ukraine were discriminated against.”
Negotiations on “permanent governance of the occupied territories” would prioritize diplomacy, with sanctions relief and the unfreezing of $300 billion in Russian assets tied to implementation – partly funding Ukraine’s reconstruction – and a “snap-back” clause reinstating penalties if Moscow re-aggresses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cautiously endorsed the draft, telling Axios on 27 October that it could be finalized in “7-10 days,” while praising Europe’s “pragmatic step” amid U.S. election pressures.
Yet the plan has ignited debate. Pro-Ukraine voices on platforms like X decry it as “flawed,” arguing it rewards Putin’s conquests by freezing lines without robust enforcement. A European diplomat quipped to Euromaidan Press: “We can have a 12-point plan, but there won’t be peace – that is Putin’s one-point plan.”