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Former President Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following strong reaction from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks from the White House, Trump informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Various Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision in the near future between keeping the nation's honor and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

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

Suggesting red lines, he noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation should be ready to give away certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister 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 would follow.

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