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Ex-leader Trump stated this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following intense backlash from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, Umerov added: "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 Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said 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 drew comparisons 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".

On social media, he expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded very little 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.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, 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 the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said 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 she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."