Trump States Deal Proposal Isn't 'Final Offer' as Representatives Assemble for Geneva Summit
Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", following strong backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.
In short comments at the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."
Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Multiple Nations
US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations there.
Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit
Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.
During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.
Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings
Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.
A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.
Hinting at red lines, he added: "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."
Global Reaction and Concerns
The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.
At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.
Public Views in Kyiv
Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.
Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.
On social media, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.
In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. 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 added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.
Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens
A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.
Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.
European Officials Condemn the Plan
Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.
The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."