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Former President Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after fierce criticism from Ukraine's officials and analysts that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, Trump informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that genuine or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war 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 in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended 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 stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "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 sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation should be ready to give away certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as 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 of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."