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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following intense reaction from Ukraine's officials and commentators who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, the US president informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Various Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future between keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, Umerov added: "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."

Global Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively 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 the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms 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 battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country 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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."