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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following strong backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, the US president informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Various Nations

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory under its control to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Appointed for Geneva Talks

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US 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 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 Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear 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, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from a similar category, 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 its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient 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 said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser 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. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."