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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following strong reaction from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, Trump told reporters: "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 Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Deadline

However, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up territory under its control to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Yermak.

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

Suggesting limits, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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 Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – 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, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep 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 it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said 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 said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful 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 meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."