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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated this past weekend that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, the US president told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov noted: "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."

International Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready 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 said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine 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, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."