Donald Trump Declares Deal Plan Isn't Ultimate Proposal as Officials Gather for Geneva Talks

Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after fierce backlash from Ukraine's officials and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, the US president informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials 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 Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede land under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov noted: "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."

International Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted 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 Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. 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".

In a Facebook post, he said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal 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 it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. 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.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."