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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after strong reaction from Ukrainian officials and commentators that compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede land under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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

Global Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared 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 other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. 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 predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation should be ready to give away 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 proposed.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."