Donald Trump Says Deal Plan Is Not 'Final Offer' as Representatives Assemble for Geneva Talks

Ex-leader Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after fierce backlash from Ukraine's leaders and commentators that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

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

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said 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."

Global Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many 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 added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

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

European Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."