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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following fierce reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

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

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede land it currently controls to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president said that genuine or "dignified" resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, he noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. 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 he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal 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 sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation ought to consider ceding 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 Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". 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, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". 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."