🔗 Share this article

Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, the US president told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, Umerov added: "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 Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators 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 involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "barely anything" 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 Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, 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 remarked.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

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

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."