Former President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following fierce criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.
During short remarks from the White House, the US president told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."
Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks in Geneva.
Prior to the talks, American lawmakers informed the press that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede land under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.
During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.
Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.
A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.
Hinting at limits, he 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."
The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.
During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.
Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.
Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to 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, Nayyem expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.
In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement 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 give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.
Another passenger, teenager Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.
While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.
Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.
Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."
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