Europe Floats Bringing Putin Back Into G8 in Counter to Trump’s Ukraine Plan

Europe is pushing a rival peace framework that could put Vladimir Putin back on the global stage while imposing major limits on Ukraine’s future military.

Here’s what went down

Read this especially if you’re tracking Ukraine peace talks, U.S.–EU tensions, or how far the West is willing to go to end the war.

What Just Happened

After an emergency summit in Geneva, the UK, Germany, and France unveiled a counter-proposal to Trump’s 28-point Ukraine peace plan.

Their draft offers Russia a path back into the G8, caps Ukraine’s military at 800,000 troops, and calls for quick elections that could push Zelensky from power, while rolling back earlier Kremlin demands such as surrendering the Donbas.

The plan does not need Trump’s approval, though it still requires Russia’s agreement, which has repeatedly shifted.

What’s Inside Europe’s Counter-Deal

• Russia back in the club: Pathway to G8 re-entry and broader economic reintegration.

• Ukraine’s army capped: 800,000 in peacetime, looser than the 600,000 ceiling in the U.S.–Russia draft, but still a firm limit.

• Quick elections: “As soon as possible” after a peace deal, potentially reshaping Ukraine’s leadership.

• No forced surrender of Donbas: That clause is gone, a key change from earlier Russian demands.

• Frozen Russian assets: Stay locked until Moscow pays war damages; the U.S. no longer takes 50% of profits from invested assets, a controversial earlier proposal.

• Territorial negotiations: Start from the current front line, with Ukraine receiving a U.S. security guarantee modeled on NATO’s Article 5.

WHY IT MATTERS

Europe appears willing to trade parts of Ukraine’s long-term freedom of action for a structured end to the war, capping Ukraine’s military and forcing elections that embed future vulnerabilities while reopening the door for Russia’s rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, the U.S. looks divided, and Kyiv is left wondering whether this is a peace deal or a managed defeat.

The Backdrop

Trump’s 28-point plan was blasted, even by some Republicans, as a “wish list for Putin,” with critics noting odd phrasing suggesting Russian influence despite denials from Marco Rubio.

As Trump scolded Ukraine for showing “zero gratitude,” Zelensky pushed back, and Kyiv continued striking deep inside Russia, hitting a major power station near Moscow.

The Bottom Line

Europe’s counter-deal seeks to preserve Western unity while dialing back the most extreme pro-Russian demands.

The trade-off is stark: to end the war, Ukraine may be asked to accept limits on its military, forced elections, and Russia’s return to elite forums, all while rebuilding from ruins.