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Ex-leader Trump stated this past weekend that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", following strong backlash from Ukraine's leaders and commentators that compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short comments from the White House, the US president told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on 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, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. 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 engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."