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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", after strong criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Various Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he noted: 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 Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. 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 people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. "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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill 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. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."