Trump States Deal Plan Is Not 'Final Offer' as Delegates Convene for Geneva Meeting

Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following strong reaction from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments at the White House, Trump informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature 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 Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president said that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

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

Hinting at limits, he 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."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. 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.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up 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 too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. "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 Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it 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.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."