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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following strong backlash from Ukraine's officials and analysts who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, Trump 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 we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Various Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country faces a difficult decision in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country 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 Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."