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Ex-leader Trump remarked this past weekend that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following fierce backlash from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, the US president informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future between keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, he added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter 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.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep 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 Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."