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Former President Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations there.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather 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, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country faces a difficult decision in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, Umerov 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 Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded "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 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. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" 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 that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine 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" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted 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."