🔗 Share this article

Ex-leader Trump remarked on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief remarks at the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators told the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, the president said that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, Umerov noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old 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. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."