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Ex-leader Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following strong reaction from Ukraine's officials and commentators that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks there.

Prior to the talks, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land under its control to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, the president said that real or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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 Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". 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 European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal 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 Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, 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 Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."