Former President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the Ukrainian government had demonstrated little appreciation for US efforts to halt the conflict, as US, Kyiv, and global delegates met in Geneva to discuss a peace proposal that calls for significant concessions from Ukraine to Russia.
Doubts Over Plan’s Origin
Poland’s president Tusk questioned where Trump’s proposal came from, following an apparent admission by American diplomat Rubio that the document was first written by Russian officials.
In a social media post, the Polish president said that EU officials, along with Canada and Japan, were ready to consider the extensive plan. The document outlines Ukraine handing over land to Moscow and agreeing to further compromises, including capping the size of its army and forgoing the alliance.
Tusk added that there were certain concerns before proceeding further. Pointedly, he commented, “We need to determine for sure who wrote it and its place of origin.”
Speculation on Document’s Creation
The document was allegedly drawn up by Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s representative, together with a US envoy, Steve Witkoff. Analysis due to the use of language in the document suggests it may have been composed in Russia’s language and subsequently rendered into English.
A bipartisan lawmakers said that the Secretary of State told them the plan was not an American one. According to them, it was a Russian document intentionally shared by Russia, which the United States then forwarded to Kyiv. He later insisted that the America did draft the proposal, with contributions from Moscow and Kyiv.
Mixed Messages and Criticism
Amid contradictory statements and a strong reaction from GOP lawmakers, the president stepped back from his initial ultimatum that Ukraine’s leader Zelenskyy agree on the deal by this Thursday. In remarks, he stated it was “not my final offer”, opening the door for major revisions.
Writing on Truth Social on Sunday, he avoided blaming Moscow for the conflict. Instead, he said his preceding administration, Joe Biden, was responsible and had given “everything” to Ukraine for without cost. He added, “KYIV’S GOVERNMENT HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR US SUPPORT, AND EU NATIONS KEEP PURCHASING RUSSIAN ENERGY.”
European Leaders Reject Moscow-Drafted Demands
European leaders have stated that the Moscow-drafted demands endorsed by the US are mostly unacceptable. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said that Ukraine’s borders could not be altered through aggression. A cap on the military size would leave it “vulnerable to future attack”, she noted.
Germany’s chancellor, Merz, said he was sceptical an deal could be concluded this week, given the existing disagreements. One diplomat remarked that the EU would applaud US mediation in the coming days, while discreetly working to revise the plan and “make it sensible”.
Ongoing Talks in Geneva
On the weekend, Rubio and Witkoff arrived in Geneva alongside the American military official, Driscoll, who held talks last week with Zelenskyy in the capital.
They conferred with a Ukrainian delegation headed by a top aide, Andriy Yermak. Earlier, the Kyiv team consulted officials from France, Germany, and the UK, including Keir Starmer’s national security adviser, Powell.
Resistance from EU Representatives
In a coordinated push back, European officials have argued that the proposal in its current form limits Ukraine’s sovereignty by excluding alliance accession and imposing terms for its European Union entry. If accepted, it would establish a risky norm, they assert. It also prevents a western peacekeeping force for the country and limits where Nato aircraft could be based.
One official noted that Russia’s president was attempting to revert decades on Europe’s security architecture and to enforce demands made prior to his all-out invasion. Russia’s president called for alliance troops to withdraw to their positions from that era, before the Baltic states and central Europe entered the Nato pact.
Ukraine’s Difficult Position
The Ukrainian president has stated that his country confronts a no-win situation between compromising sovereignty and losing a major ally. He has attempted to engage positively with a chaotic White House apparently intent to end the conflict on Russia’s brutal terms.
“The bloodshed must be stopped, and we must ensure that the conflict does not resume,” he wrote. A American representative commented, “Our goal is to finalize the final details … to draft a deal that is advantageous to them. Nothing will be agreed on until the leaders meet,” the official noted, meaning the US and Ukrainian heads of state.
