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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after fierce reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts that compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators told media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, 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."

Global Reaction 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 emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

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

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While 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 attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant 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 this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser 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. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."