Capitulation?

America is thus, writes Blic, practically bringing Kyiv to its knees, aware that the Ukrainians will not be able to stand alone against Russia for a long time.

According to European officials, the US peace plan for Ukraine is capitulation to Europe.

Namely, as further reminded in the text, since Trump entered the White House, Europe fears that he is more sympathetic to the Russian side in the negotiations on ending the war. While Trump is impatient, Russia is in no rush.

"Putin is playing a waiting game, because he believes that time is on his side and that he can force Ukraine into a less favorable position, and convince Kyiv and its European allies with the help of Washington that there is no alternative but a peace agreement on Russian terms," ​​John Locke, head of foreign policy at the NEST Center for New Eurasian Strategies, told CNN.

"Either they will choose peace or they will lose their land"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has so far steadfastly refused to recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea, which Trump complained about last week, saying that "inflammatory statements" like his make it harder to end this war.

According to the American proposal, Ukraine would renounce its membership in NATO, but not in the EU. The guarantor of security would be a group of European states. The US would recognize Russian control over Crimea "de jure" and "de facto" that over Luhansk, and parts of Zaporozhye, Donetsk and Kherson, among others.

The Zaporozhye nuclear power plant would be under American control, and Ukraine would regain land in the Kharkiv region.

"This is capitulation"

Cession of large parts of Ukrainian territory to Russia according to the American peace proposal would be "capitulation", German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned.

He told ARD that Ukraine knew that it might have to cede some territory in order to reach a permanent cease-fire agreement, "but it certainly won't - and shouldn't go as far - as the latest proposal of the American president".

While Zelensky has so far refused to recognize Crimea despite pressure from Trump, that situation may have changed after the two leaders spoke Saturday at Pope Francis' funeral in the Vatican, the first since the White House spat in late February.

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This week will be critical and decisive in determining the future of American attempts to broker an end to the war.

"We have to make a decision about whether this is an effort we want to continue to be involved in or whether it's time to focus on other issues," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that they were "close to an agreement, but not close enough."

He also indicated that Washington is not expanding sanctions against Russia in order not to hinder the peace process. That could change as Trump on Sunday opened up the possibility of new sanctions on Moscow after last week's attack on Kyiv, and questioned whether Putin is even interested in peace.

"It makes me think that maybe he doesn't want to stop the war, he's just pulling my nose," Trump said.

"Negotiations are going well... for Putin"

"I would say that the negotiations are going very well - from Putin's perspective. He has no intention of stopping the war, but what he wants - and what he is getting - is the restoration of diplomatic relations between the US and Russia," Angela Stent, a foreign policy expert, told CNN.

CNN writes that Trump reveals that it is not as easy to reach Putin as he may have thought and that stalling, haggling over every detail or refusing without an explicit "no" are classic Russian tactics, which Putin and his top negotiators have used many times in the past.

"Putin is known for describing his work in the KGB as 'working with people'. He is trained in the art of manipulating interlocutors. He is known to thoroughly prepare for negotiations and is a master of detail," Locke said, adding that Putin is known for "being able to charm and intimidate in the same breath."

CNN reports that Trump's envoy Witkoff - a construction magnate with no experience in politics or diplomacy - is trying to broker a deal with Putin, a former KGB lieutenant who has "outlived" five US presidents, eight British prime ministers, three Chinese leaders and six NATO chiefs, personally negotiating with many of them.