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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", following fierce backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Various Countries

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

Ahead of these discussions, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Russia, downsize its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future involving preserving its national dignity and losing key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said they will hold consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

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 Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels 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 expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. 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 stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "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 sacrifice its liberties, 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

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."