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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", following fierce criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, the US president told 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 we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country faces a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president said that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

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

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

Global Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, 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 Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. 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 invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to 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 the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered 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 said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."