Donald Trump Declares Deal Plan Is Not 'Final Offer' as Delegates Gather for Geneva Meeting
Former President Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", after strong criticism from Ukraine's officials and commentators that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.
In brief remarks from the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."
Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Nations
Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.
Ahead of the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to Senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Deadline
Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to cede land under its control to Russia, reduce its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.
In a sombre speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.
Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Upcoming Meetings
In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.
Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".
Suggesting limits, Umerov 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 Criticism
The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.
At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.
Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital
Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.
Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".
In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed 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 Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.
Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow 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 said.
Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.
Varied Viewpoints from the Public
Another passenger, 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 Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.
Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.
European Leaders Condemn the Plan
Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.
The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."