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Ex-leader Trump remarked this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after intense criticism from Ukrainian officials and commentators who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice in the near future between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Talks

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

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

Hinting at limits, Umerov added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."

Global Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."