🔗 Share this article

Former President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was "not my final offer", following fierce backlash from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations there.

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up land under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and losing key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy said that genuine or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, 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."

Global Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy 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 he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "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 vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."