Trump Declares Deal Plan Isn't 'Final Offer' as Officials Gather for Geneva Talks

Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following fierce reaction from Ukrainian officials and analysts who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, 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".

Suggesting red lines, 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."

Global Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict 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 released a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. 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 give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser 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."