🔗 Share this article

Ex-leader Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after strong backlash from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators told the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

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

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting 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."

International Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many 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 remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement 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."