Former President Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", following fierce backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.
In 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, one way or the other it must be resolved."
US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks in Geneva.
Prior to the talks, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.
However, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.
During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future between keeping its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.
Speaking this weekend, the president said that genuine or "dignified" peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.
Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.
Hinting at red lines, he noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."
The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.
At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.
Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.
Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".
On social media, he said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.
Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.
If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.
A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient 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 Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.
Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.
Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. 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, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced 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 must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."
A seasoned software engineer with a passion for open-source projects and tech education.
