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Former President Trump remarked this past weekend that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, following intense backlash from Ukraine's officials and analysts who compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Various Countries

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

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told the press that State Department head Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan 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 Critical Deadline

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president said that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by top aide Yermak.

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

Suggesting limits, Umerov added: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."

International Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires further refinement. It said 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.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

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

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep 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 it would be compelled 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 battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."