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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated this past weekend that his Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following strong reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Include Various Nations

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

Prior to these discussions, US senators informed media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of the leaked plan. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president said that genuine or respectable peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting limits, he added: "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 Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he 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 for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country 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 that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, 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 would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser 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. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."