Trump Declares Deal Plan Isn't 'Final Offer' as Delegates Assemble for Swiss Talks
Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following fierce reaction from Ukrainian officials and analysts who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.
During short remarks from the White House, the US president informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."
Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Various Nations
Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.
Prior to the talks, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Deadline
Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.
During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision in the near future involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.
Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Upcoming Meetings
In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that genuine or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.
A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.
Hinting at red lines, 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."
Global Response and Concerns
Zelenskyy has attempted 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 the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.
During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.
Public Views in Kyiv
Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.
Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", 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 Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.
In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow 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 it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.
Diverse Perspectives from the Public
A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. 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 cede territory.
Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.
European Leaders Condemn the Proposal
Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.
Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."