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Former President Trump declared on Sunday that the Ukrainian government had demonstrated little appreciation for American efforts to end the war, as US, Kyiv, and global delegates gathered in Geneva to discuss a plan for peace that would involve significant concessions from Ukraine to Moscow.

Questions Over Proposal’s Authorship

Poland’s president Donald Tusk questioned where Trump’s peace plan came from, following reports by US Secretary of State Rubio that the text was originally drafted by Russian officials.

In a social media post, the Polish president said that EU officials, together with other nations, were ready to work on the 28-point proposal. The document envisages Kyiv ceding territory to Moscow and making other major concessions, including limiting the military forces and not joining Nato.

Tusk added that there were certain concerns before work could begin. Pointedly, he commented, “It would be good to know for sure who wrote it and its place of origin.”

Rumors on Plan’s Drafting

The proposal was allegedly drawn up by a Kremlin envoy, Putin’s representative, together with Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff. Analysis due to the wording in the document indicates it may have been written in Russian and later translated into the English language.

A group of US senators said that Rubio informed them the plan was not an American one. According to them, it was a Russian document deliberately leaked by Moscow, which the US then forwarded to Ukraine. Rubio subsequently clarified that the US did draft the proposal, with “input” from Moscow and Kyiv.

Mixed Messages and Backlash

Amid contradictory statements and a backlash from some Republican senators, the president stepped back from his earlier demand that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy sign off on the deal by this Thursday. Speaking in Washington, he stated it was subject to change, paving the way for significant changes.

Writing on Truth Social on the weekend, he avoided blaming Russia for the conflict. Instead, he claimed his predecessor, Joe Biden, was at fault and had given “everything” to Ukraine for “free free free”. He added, “KYIV’S GOVERNMENT HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR US SUPPORT, AND EUROPE CONTINUES TO BUY RUSSIAN ENERGY.”

EU Officials Criticize Moscow-Drafted Demands

European leaders have made clear that the Moscow-drafted demands backed by Trump are largely untenable. The European Commission president, von der Leyen, said that the nation’s territory could not be changed by force. A cap on the military size would leave it defenseless against threats, she added.

The German leader, Friedrich Merz, expressed he was sceptical an deal could be concluded soon, given the existing disagreements. One diplomat remarked that the Europeans would applaud Trump’s peacekeeping efforts in the near future, while quietly seeking to “rewrite” the proposal and “make it sensible”.

Ongoing Talks in Switzerland

On the weekend, Rubio and Witkoff arrived in Geneva together with the US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, who met recently with Ukraine’s president in the capital.

They met a Ukrainian delegation headed by a top aide, Andriy Yermak. Earlier, the Ukrainian officials spoke with officials from France, Germany, and the UK, including a British representative, Jonathan Powell.

Pushback from European Officials

In a unified response, European officials have argued that the proposal in its current form curtails the nation’s independence by excluding Nato membership and setting conditions for its European Union entry. If approved, it would set a dangerous global precedent, they assert. It also prevents a western peacekeeping force for the country and restricts where alliance planes could be stationed.

One diplomat noted that Putin was attempting to revert 30 years on the continent’s defense framework and to enforce demands made shortly before his full-scale war. Putin called for alliance troops to pull back to their positions from that era, before the Baltic states and central Europe joined the defensive transatlantic alliance.

Ukraine’s Difficult Position

The Ukrainian president has stated that his nation confronts a no-win situation between betraying national interests and losing a major ally. He has sought to cooperate diplomatically with a unpredictable US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war on Moscow’s harsh conditions.

“The bloodshed must be stopped, and we must ensure that the war is never reignited,” he wrote. A US official added, “We hope to iron out the remaining points … to draft a deal that is beneficial to Ukraine. No decision will be made until the leaders get together,” the source noted, referring to the US and Ukrainian heads of state.