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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after strong reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, Trump informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

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

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva 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", as reported by Senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he noted: 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 Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. It said 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 future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. "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 give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, 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.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."