Donald Trump States Deal Plan Is Not 'Final Offer' as Representatives Convene for Swiss Summit

Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following intense criticism from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks from 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, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts a difficult decision in the near future between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting 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 Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult 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 rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" 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 that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."