Trump Says Peace Proposal Isn't 'Final Offer' as Delegates Convene for Geneva Summit

Former President Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short comments at the White House, Trump informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president said that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, Umerov noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued 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 invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded 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 said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient 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 that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."