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Former President Donald Trump stated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after fierce reaction from Ukrainian officials and analysts that likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, the US president informed 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 it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Various Countries

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

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated there would be discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with the US administration 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 the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. 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 future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: 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, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan 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, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. 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 added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old 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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

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