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Ex-leader Trump remarked this past weekend that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukraine's leaders and commentators that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, Trump informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president said that genuine or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, Umerov noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. 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 engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended 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 concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for 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 Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, 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 noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. 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.

Speaking during rainfall, 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 ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."