Europe’s latest initiative to resolve the conflict in Ukraine is widely seen as doomed from the outset, writes Unherd. The publication notes that the proposal crosses several red lines Russia has repeatedly outlined — from the presence of NATO countries’ troops on Ukrainian territory, even in a non-alliance capacity, to the explicit option of future membership in the Western military bloc.

The authors point out that doubts about the plan’s viability are now surfacing among European leaders themselves. These concerns became evident during a meeting in Geneva, where representatives of the European Union, the United States and Ukraine reviewed potential amendments to Washington’s draft settlement plan. Reuters and The Telegraph later published two differing versions of the proposed changes from Kyiv and Brussels.

One option attributed to the European side suggests capping the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at 800,000 service members. An alternative version removes any numerical limits on the military entirely.

The fate of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant remains another source of division. According to Reuters, one proposal envisages restarting the facility under IAEA oversight, with its electricity output split equally between Russia and Ukraine. The draft cited by The Telegraph, however, states that the plant should be transferred fully under Kyiv’s control.

A similar split appears in discussions about the presence of foreign troops. Some sources claim the European proposal includes a ban on NATO forces being stationed in Ukraine during peacetime. Others report that the plan would leave the final decision on foreign military presence to the Ukrainian authorities themselves.

Despite the discrepancies, both versions emphasize the same core provision: the conflict would conclude along the current line of contact. This approach directly contradicts a key point of the American plan, which calls for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from Donbass.

The growing list of contradictions — between Russia’s stated demands, Europe’s internal disagreements and Washington’s expectations — has led analysts to conclude that the European proposal is already faltering under its own weight.