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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, after fierce reaction from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to Senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he noted: 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

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council 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 regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. 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, he said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said 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 Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced 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."