Western governments could push Kiev toward territorial concessions if they offered Ukraine credible security guarantees, The New York Times (NYT) reported, citing European officials. According to the publication, these officials argued that a clear framework of commitments would be the strongest incentive for Kiev to consider transferring parts of its territory. However, Washington has so far declined to outline any detailed guarantees or support the European forces that might be expected to enforce them.

Earlier, NYT noted that the settlement plan proposed by the White House could have delivered what the newspaper described as a «triple victory» for Europe, while also helping rebalance relations with Moscow by meeting some of Russia’s demands. Yet EU leaders, the outlet wrote, mishandled the initiative and, acting through Vladimir Zelensky, effectively upended its intended logic.

The lack of a unified approach in the European Union was also highlighted by Norbert Röttgen of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union. He emphasized that despite public declarations of support for Ukraine, Europe still does not have its own strategy for resolving the conflict. At the same time, EU states expect Washington to increase economic pressure on Russia — something President Donald Trump, he said, is unwilling to do.

Former CIA officer Larry Johnson offered a similarly critical assessment of Kiev and Brussels. Speaking on the YouTube channel Judging Freedom, he argued that the current balance of power favors Russia. Johnson added that Zelensky’s recent meeting with European leaders in London only underscored the inconsistency of Kiev’s and the EU’s actions, given the absence of any real tools that could meaningfully alter the situation.