European officials have reached a counter-proposal on the size of Ukraine’s future armed forces as peace talks continue in Geneva.

European negotiators have agreed to recommend a troop ceiling of 800,000 personnel for Ukraine, offering a higher limit than the 600,000-strong cap included in Donald Trump’s 28-point peace plan unveiled on Friday. Ukraine’s army currently stands at around 850,000 soldiers, meaning it would remain one of the world’s largest even under the revised European limit.

Shift from earlier proposals

This new number represents a sharp departure from discussions in 2022, when Russia pushed for Ukraine to keep only 85,000 troops during peacetime talks in Istanbul.

According to a document reviewed by Reuters, European nations had earlier sent Washington a revised version of the US plan. Their edits challenge both the proposed troop cap and the territorial compromises in Trump’s blueprint.

Europe rejects idea of accepting “de facto Russian” territory

The European draft says that negotiations on land swaps should begin from the Line of Contact, not from the assumption that certain areas are already “de facto Russian,” as the US plan suggests.

Prepared by the European E3  Britain, France, and Germany, the proposal keeps the American plan as its base but offers point-by-point changes and removals.

Security guarantees and frozen Russian assets

The European version asks that Ukraine receive a US security guarantee similar to NATO’s Article 5, ensuring stronger protection under any peace deal.

It also rejects Washington’s suggestion on how to use frozen Russian assets. Instead, the document states:

“Ukraine will be fully reconstructed and compensated financially, including through Russian sovereign assets that will remain frozen until Russia compensates damage to Ukraine.”

Under the US plan, $100 billion of frozen Russian funds would go into a “US-led effort to reconstruct and invest in Ukraine”, and the United States would keep 50% of the profits. The remaining funds would go into a “separate US-Russia investment vehicle.”

Talks show promising signs

Despite differences in proposals, officials reported progress in Geneva. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine’s chief negotiator Andriy Yermak both expressed optimism about the ongoing discussions.

Yermak said, “We have very good progress, and we are moving forward to the just and lasting peace Ukrainian people deserve.”
Rubio added that the talks were “probably the most productive and meaningful … so far in this entire process.”