Vitaliy Portnikov reviews the outcome of the negotiations between the American and Ukrainian delegations in Geneva regarding the so-called peace plan of US President Donald Trump. The meeting concluded without scandal and was described by both sides as constructive, focused, and mutually respectful. After the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pointed out signals that the Americans started listening to Ukraine's concerns.
This leaves hope that the most controversial points of the plan can be discussed. The situation becomes more complicated as European leaders join the process. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he knew nothing about any alternative European plan to end the war, but the main issue is the lack of awareness of the US president about the content of his own proposals. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump may not even know the details, and his staff simply informs him about the existence of certain initiatives.
Portnikov stresses that the US president does not actually read documents, so his involvement in the plan is limited. As a result, European leaders often act as teachers, explaining the essence of ideas to Trump himself.
The existence of a truly comprehensive “Trump peace plan” is questionable — at most, there are several proposals, formulated by US representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with partial involvement of Secretary Marco Rubio. Many of these initiatives may have originated from Russian representative Kirill Dmitriev, whose aim was not to end the war, but to block US sanctions on Russian oil companies. Portnikov claims Dmitriev did not coordinate his variants with Vladimir Putin.
In the end, sanctions were imposed, and the so-called plan was reworked. The Kremlin’s position on ending the war is unchanged: Putin is not making compromises. The author concludes that the entire story is marked by confusion, incompetence, and adventurism among its participants.
Portnikov concludes that in the coming days, the “peace plan” topic will likely disappear from the news, and its organizers will seek to avoid publicity. Ultimately, it can be stated that there is no real Trump peace plan.
