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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", following fierce reaction from Ukrainian officials and analysts that compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, according to Senator Angus King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to give up land under its control to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, 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 Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged 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 for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms 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 frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, said 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. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state 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 the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."