🔗 Share this article

Former President Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following intense backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."

International Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."