🔗 Share this article

Former President Trump stated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after intense criticism from Ukrainian leaders and commentators that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that genuine or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. 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 might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that Ukraine 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 said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions 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 Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. 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."