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Former President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that Ukraine had shown no gratitude for US efforts to end the war, as American, Ukrainian, and international negotiators met in Geneva to review a plan for peace that would involve significant concessions from Kyiv to Russia.

Questions Over Proposal’s Authorship

Poland’s president Tusk asked where the US’s proposal originated, following an apparent admission by US Secretary of State Rubio that the text was originally drafted by Russian officials.

In a online statement, Tusk noted that European leaders, together with Canada and Japan, were ready to work on the 28-point proposal. The proposal envisages Kyiv handing over territory to Moscow and agreeing to further compromises, including limiting the size of its army and forgoing the alliance.

Tusk remarked that there were “some reservations” before work could begin. Emphatically, he stated, “We need to determine for sure who is the author and where was it created.”

Speculation on Plan’s Drafting

The document was allegedly drawn up by a Kremlin envoy, Putin’s representative, alongside a US envoy, Witkoff. Speculation based on the wording in the document indicates it may have been composed in Russia’s language and subsequently rendered into the English language.

A group of US senators said that Rubio told them the text was not an American one. They said, it was a Russian document intentionally shared by Russia, which the United States then passed on to Kyiv. He subsequently clarified that the US did draft the proposal, with “input” from both Russia and Ukraine.

Contradictory Statements and Backlash

Amid contradictory statements and a backlash from GOP lawmakers, Trump stepped back from his initial ultimatum that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agree on the agreement by the deadline. In remarks, he stated it was subject to change, opening the door for significant changes.

In an online post on Sunday, he avoided blaming Russia for the conflict. Rather, he said his predecessor, Joe Biden, was responsible and had given “everything” to Ukraine for without cost. He added, “KYIV’S GOVERNMENT HAS EXPRESSED ZERO GRATITUDE FOR OUR EFFORTS, AND EU NATIONS KEEP PURCHASING RUSSIAN ENERGY.”

EU Officials Criticize Russian Terms

European leaders have made clear that the terms set by Russia backed by the US are largely untenable. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized that the nation’s territory could not be altered through aggression. A cap on the country’s armed forces would leave it “vulnerable to future attack”, she added.

The German leader, Friedrich Merz, said he was doubtful an agreement could be reached this week, given the “current differences”. One diplomat said that the EU would publicly praise US mediation in the coming days, while quietly seeking to revise the proposal and improve its terms.

Continued Negotiations in Switzerland

On the weekend, US envoys traveled to Switzerland together with the US army secretary, Dan Driscoll, who held talks last week with Ukraine’s president in Kyiv.

They conferred with a Ukrainian delegation led by Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Prior to that, the Kyiv team consulted European diplomats, including Keir Starmer’s national security adviser, Powell.

Resistance from EU Representatives

In a unified response, European officials have said that the draft in its current form limits the nation’s independence by excluding alliance accession and imposing terms for its EU accession. If accepted, it would set a dangerous global precedent, they assert. It also prevents a international troops for the country and restricts where alliance planes could be based.

One diplomat noted that Putin was attempting to revert decades on Europe’s security architecture and to impose terms made shortly before his full-scale war. Putin demanded Nato’s military forces to withdraw to their positions from that era, prior to the Baltic states and central Europe entered the defensive transatlantic alliance.

Zelenskyy’s Dilemma

Zelenskyy has said that his nation faces an impossible choice between compromising sovereignty and alienating the US. 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 guarantee that the war is never reignited,” he wrote. A American representative added, “Our goal is to finalize the final details … to draft a deal that is beneficial to them. No decision will be made until the two presidents meet,” the source said, referring to the US and Ukrainian heads of state.