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Former President Trump remarked this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following intense backlash from Ukraine's officials and commentators who compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, the US president informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. 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 nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country confronts a difficult decision in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, the president said that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, 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."

International Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he said he was outraged 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 for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow has attempted 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 said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that Ukraine 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. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

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 ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."