Donald Trump Declares Peace Proposal Isn't 'Final Offer' as Delegates Gather for Geneva Talks

Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after intense reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments at the White House, the US president 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 it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Various Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future between keeping 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 Team Appointed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said there would be discussions with the US 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."

International Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

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

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem 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 deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said 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 for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, 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 of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."