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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after strong reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, US senators told the press that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede land under its control to Russia, downsize its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, Umerov added: "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."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined 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 Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. 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.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said his anger 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 families of deported children to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded very little in the proposed deal and maintained 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 Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, 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 noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. 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 mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."