US 28-pointers Ukraine peace plan is NOT FINAL, says Trump after G20 Summit leaders said it needs ‘more work’

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (Nov 22) that the peace plan the US has proposed for the Russia-Ukraine war is not the final offer. “No, not my final offer. We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago," Trump told reporters.

“The Ukraine war with Russia should have never happened. If I were president, it never would have happened. We’re trying to get it ended. One way or the other we have to get it ended,” he added.

The American president was asked what would happen if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t accept the plan by his deadline on Thursday. Trump replied, "Then he can continue to fight his little heart out.”

Trump's statement came after the European leaders at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg said that the 28-point plan needs more "Word".

“The initial draft of the 28-point plan includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace,” the leaders said, according to Reuters. “We believe therefore that the draft is a basis which will require additional work.”

Meanwhile, the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday welcomed the proposed peace deal and confirmed for the first time that Russia has formally received a copy of the peace plan. The peace plan is clearly favouring Russia and its maximalist ambitions.

"I believe that it could lay the foundation for a final peace settlement," said Putin in a statement. He also threatened to seize more Ukrainian territory, as Russian troops are closing in on the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, "will inevitably be repeated in other key areas of the front line." Russian commander Sergei Kuzovlev referred to the Kupiansk city as a "key cog in Ukraine's defences."

The 28-point draft peace plan imposes heavy burdens on Ukraine. The plan states that Ukraine will retain its sovereignty, but the subsequent restriction implies otherwise. Ukraine can't maintain more than 600,000 troops; it is also barred from joining NATO, and NATO is barred from accepting its membership. Around $100 billion worth of Russian frozen assets are to be used to rebuild Ukraine, which is unlikely to please Putin. However, Russia has the upper hand in the negotiation, and it is clearly visible in the terms of the deal. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “We are fully open to dialogue and remain ready for peace negotiations,” while adding that the Russian military advances “make it clear to Zelensky and his government that it would be better to reach an agreement now rather than later.”