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Former President Trump stated this past weekend that the Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following intense criticism from Ukrainian leaders and commentators that likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, Trump informed 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."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

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

Prior to these discussions, US senators told the press that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to cede land under its control to Russia, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces a difficult decision over the coming days between keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, Umerov added: "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."

Global Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, 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 Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". 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."