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Former President Donald Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", after fierce backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

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

Hinting at limits, Umerov noted: "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."

Global Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear 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 EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. 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, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient without American support. "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 said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."