“Europe is rethinking its role in the world. They realize that they cannot remain permanently dependent on America,” says Gigi Gigiadze, Georgia’s former ambassador to Denmark. We spoke with him about the new political reality in Europe – is it likely that Europe will become an independent geopolitical actor?

We asked the former ambassador about the “peace agreement” process with Ukraine. He noted that European leaders’ positions are becoming increasingly firm.

What awaits Ukraine in this process? – Batumelebi interviewed Gigi Gigiadze, Georgia’s former ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark and Iceland, and former Deputy Foreign Minister (2014–2016). He is currently the Senior Researcher at the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC).

Mr. Gigiadze, what do recent EU statements on the “peace agreement” indicate? How is the EU positioning itself relative to the US?

The EU’s position has always been very clear, unified, and transparent toward Ukraine. In this regard, nothing has changed.

Clearly, all the provisions seen in the 28-point draft agreement were unacceptable to Europeans, as they were to Ukraine. Therefore, nothing unusual occurred – Europeans unambiguously expressed their position that any concession to the aggressor country is unacceptable.

It is well understood in Europe that if Russia retains its aggression against Ukraine, it will repeat it tomorrow against another European country. After the working version of the 28-point agreement, Europe presented its own version, which was developed together with the Ukrainians, removing unacceptable provisions. I think this was very correct.

Europe needs to be more active. It is already quite active in this process and has shown unprecedented unity over the past three to four years. Europe is rethinking its global role, realizing that it cannot remain permanently dependent on the United States.

In your view, is Europe ready to take a firm stance and confront the US?

We should not imagine that there is a confrontation. The US remains Europe’s main strategic partner. At the same time, Europe is determined to exercise more autonomy and act more independently from the US position.

For example, I am currently in Berlin, and two hours ago, Germany’s Federal Foreign Minister once again emphasized that the United States remains Germany’s main strategic partner and that Germany continues very active consultations with the US. Other EU member states view the situation the same way.

What is important is that the EU, while consulting with the US, continues to develop provisions favorable to Ukraine, showing America why certain points are categorically unacceptable.

But doesn’t the US already know what is unacceptable?

Any proposal is always preliminary, a working version. In international diplomacy and negotiations, no one ever agrees to the first proposal. Initially, both sides present their maximum demands, and only then does the search for compromise begin.

Do you think the 28-point draft proposal reflected the US position?

We could discuss this at length, but we cannot physically verify it. Grok confirmed that the text is a literal translation from Russian, but this is not officially verified.

The fact is that US Senator Marco Rubio stated that this is a proposal presented by the US, with both positive and negative aspects. We should rely on official statements. Conspiracy theories may exist, but since the US Secretary confirmed that this is the agreement – the preliminary version presented by the US – we should take it as such.

EU member states acted in the same way: they accepted the draft as a starting point, sat down with the Ukrainians, and revised the text from start to finish. The Americans knew what would be acceptable and unacceptable. Consider it part of their strategy. They offered their maximum, which I think was completely wrong: it is inconceivable to ask Ukraine to recognize the loss of territory or to hand over unconquered areas.

Many elements in international diplomacy are unacceptable initially, but they serve as a starting point. As I mentioned, no one ever agrees to the first version; it is the maximum demand of both sides, followed by compromise.

However, there are red lines that the EU and Europeans make very clear: territorial integrity and the inviolability of sovereignty. This includes the right to make choices freely – for example, whether to join NATO or the EU. Europeans have made these red lines very clear to the Americans.

If it turns out that US interests do not align with Europe on certain issues, is Europe ready to defend itself and Ukraine? Is Europe prepared for independent political action from the US?

In this case, the proper course of action by the Americans would have been to consult with European allies before officially presenting the draft, ensuring it aligned with what both the EU and Ukraine could accept. The guiding principle has always been: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. No one can decide Ukraine’s territorial or sovereignty issues without the will of its people.

Since this US administration chose to present it as such, it is their decision. Whether we agree or disagree, this is how they acted. The Europeans responded in a balanced, logical, and precise way, clarifying what they and Ukraine would accept – the starting point for negotiations.

Europe is trying to position itself together with the Americans. We should not view the process as involving three separate players. From the EU side, this is neither the perception nor the intention.

Europe has long been preparing to take greater responsibility for European security. This does not mean acting against the US or adopting a confrontational approach. On the contrary, it will be coordinated policy. Even Trump has said that Europeans should take care of the European continent themselves, and no one opposes this. I am confident that the red lines critical to European countries will not be violated by any party.

Currently, the EU has imposed 19 unprecedented sanctions on Russia. We are facing a historic moment in the 21st century, with the EU positioning itself in a unified voice and making very clear statements about the future security architecture in Europe.

It is clear to everyone that Russia’s nature will not change, so Europe will not make concessions to this aggressive, chauvinist, and imperialist regime, which will likely remain even after Putin.

We can say boldly that Europeans and Americans are acting together to resolve the conflict peacefully, respecting all red lines important to Ukraine.

However, Europe is preparing to take greater responsibility for security processes on the continent.

Considering this, what awaits Ukraine in the near future?

I believe Europe and the US will continue supporting Ukraine to the fullest until a just peace is achieved in Europe.