🔗 Share this article

Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after strong criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks at the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Appointed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with the US 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 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 Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult 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 stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine 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.

European Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."