🔗 Share this article

Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, Trump informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, the president said that real or "dignified" resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, Umerov 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."

Global Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels 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, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia 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 Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."