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Ex-leader Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials and commentators that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Involve Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede land it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy said that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said there would be consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at 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."

International Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up 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 released a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered very little 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 give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."