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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that his Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", after strong backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Various Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators told the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to give up territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking this weekend, the president said that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

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 Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO 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

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in 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".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said 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 regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."