🔗 Share this article

Former President Trump indicated this past weekend that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following fierce criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Various Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations there.

Prior to the talks, US senators told the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, according to Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts 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 it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, 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 noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."