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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Deadline

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts a difficult decision over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Talks

In comments this weekend, the president said that real or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated there would be consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he 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."

International Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, 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 other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, 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 noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland 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 – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition 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."