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Former President Trump indicated this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukrainian officials and analysts who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments from the White House, the US president informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers told the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated there would be discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, Umerov noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."