US President Donald Trump has clarified that his long-sought peace plan with Russia is not the final proposal he'll present to Ukraine, sparking a heated reaction from Ukrainian officials who describe it as reminiscent of Neville Chamberlain's disastrous 1938 Munich agreement with Adolf Hitler.
In remarks at the White House on Saturday, Trump said he wants to achieve peace and should have happened much sooner. He emphasized that Washington needs to end the conflict in one way or another, implying a willingness to compromise.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been less than optimistic about the plan, calling it a "wish list of the Russians" created by Moscow's envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Trump's representative Steve Witkoff. The 28-point document demands significant concessions from Ukraine, including relinquishing territory to Russia and reducing its military capabilities.
Zelenskyy warned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping its national dignity or losing a major partner in the US. He has sought to engage constructively with Trump's administration but is adamant that Ukraine cannot abandon its sovereignty or constitution.
Ukrainian officials, including former defense minister Rustem Umerov and young protester Sofia Barchan, have expressed strong opposition to the plan, saying it would force them to cede territory and compromise on their national interests. Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine's 2014 pro-democracy revolution, called Trump's peace plan "cynical" and accused Russia of trying to break Ukraine.
Trump's administration has faced widespread criticism for the plan, with previous European leaders such as Finland's former prime minister Sanna Marin calling it a catastrophe. Even former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt likened Trump to an appeaser, saying that if Europe does not stand firm against Moscow's aggression, "more aggression and conflicts" will follow.
Ukrainian reaction to the plan has been overwhelmingly hostile, with commentators comparing it to Neville Chamberlain's infamous agreement with Hitler. Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine should be ready to give up Crimea and eastern Donbas region temporarily if it means keeping America as a partner, but this is unlikely to satisfy Trump's administration.
The next round of talks between Ukrainian and American officials will take place in Geneva, where they will discuss the peace plan with security officials from France, Britain, and Germany. The US state department has disputed claims that secretary of state Marco Rubio told senators that the proposal was not the administration's plan but a "wish list" created by Russia.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains unclear whether Trump's administration can find common ground with Ukraine on this critical issue.
In remarks at the White House on Saturday, Trump said he wants to achieve peace and should have happened much sooner. He emphasized that Washington needs to end the conflict in one way or another, implying a willingness to compromise.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been less than optimistic about the plan, calling it a "wish list of the Russians" created by Moscow's envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Trump's representative Steve Witkoff. The 28-point document demands significant concessions from Ukraine, including relinquishing territory to Russia and reducing its military capabilities.
Zelenskyy warned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping its national dignity or losing a major partner in the US. He has sought to engage constructively with Trump's administration but is adamant that Ukraine cannot abandon its sovereignty or constitution.
Ukrainian officials, including former defense minister Rustem Umerov and young protester Sofia Barchan, have expressed strong opposition to the plan, saying it would force them to cede territory and compromise on their national interests. Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine's 2014 pro-democracy revolution, called Trump's peace plan "cynical" and accused Russia of trying to break Ukraine.
Trump's administration has faced widespread criticism for the plan, with previous European leaders such as Finland's former prime minister Sanna Marin calling it a catastrophe. Even former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt likened Trump to an appeaser, saying that if Europe does not stand firm against Moscow's aggression, "more aggression and conflicts" will follow.
Ukrainian reaction to the plan has been overwhelmingly hostile, with commentators comparing it to Neville Chamberlain's infamous agreement with Hitler. Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine should be ready to give up Crimea and eastern Donbas region temporarily if it means keeping America as a partner, but this is unlikely to satisfy Trump's administration.
The next round of talks between Ukrainian and American officials will take place in Geneva, where they will discuss the peace plan with security officials from France, Britain, and Germany. The US state department has disputed claims that secretary of state Marco Rubio told senators that the proposal was not the administration's plan but a "wish list" created by Russia.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains unclear whether Trump's administration can find common ground with Ukraine on this critical issue.
OMG, this peace plan is so sketchy! 
I mean, who wants to give up territory and compromise on their national interests? 
It feels like Russia is just trying to get what they want without having to put in any real effort. And Ukraine's getting caught in the middle 
. Zelenskyy's right to be skeptical - it's not fair to expect him to just roll over and surrender 
. I hope Trump's administration can find a way to negotiate that actually benefits both parties 
. It's gonna be super tough for Ukraine, though... they need to stay strong and stand up for what they believe in 
. Can't wait to see how this all plays out 
trump's plan is a bit too russian-centric for my taste, i mean, who wants to cede territory just to keep america as an ally? 
. zelenskyy seems right in saying that ukraine needs to stand firm on its sovereignty, cant have america dictating terms for russia 
. meanwhile trump's plan just sounds like more of the same old "let's make a deal" nonsense 
It sounds like Trump's just gonna give away Ukraine's territory without even trying to negotiate properly... like, isn't that the same thing Neville Chamberlain did with Germany back in 1938? 
We should be supporting them, not just trying to broker a deal that might benefit Russia at the expense of Ukraine! 
. The idea of giving up territory just because of peace sounds like a lose-lose situation to me. It's not right that Ukrainian officials are being forced to choose between dignity and losing America as a partner. I think the whole thing is super complicated and it would be awesome if they could find a way to compromise without sacrificing their sovereignty 
. I'm keeping an eye on how this situation unfolds and hoping that both sides can find a way to work together without compromising their values 
. Zelenskyy is spot on when he says it's a "wish list" created by the Russians 
. How can anyone trust Trump to represent America's interests? 
. More than just empty words, Ukraine needs concrete actions from Trump's admin 
. We can't let Russia dictate the terms of our independence #UkraineStrong 
. And, yeah, it's not ideal that Trump's administration has gotten itself into this mess in the first place, but I'm sure they'll figure something out.
. Like, Sanna Marin calling it a catastrophe? That's just name-calling at this point. And, yeah, Guy Verhofstadt's comparison to Neville Chamberlain is a bit... on the nose.
I'm literally shaking right now thinking about the US peace plan for Ukraine 
! The fact that Trump is comparing this to Neville Chamberlain's Munich agreement makes me sick 
. Did he not learn from history? 
. Bring on the Geneva talks, I guess 
. And what's up with the 28-point document that sounds suspiciously like Russia's wish list? 
. And now Ukrainian officials are speaking out against it, saying it would compromise their sovereignty - I think they're right to be skeptical 
- who thought relinquishing territory to Moscow and reducing military capabilities would be a good idea? 
their sovereignty is literally being put on the table and it's just not right 
especially considering all the history behind that awful munich agreement 
️... it's like we're giving up our values for a deal