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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following fierce backlash from Ukraine's officials and commentators who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

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

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede land under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and losing key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, he noted: 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 engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered 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.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. 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. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient 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 said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as 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.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."