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Ex-leader Trump stated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was "not my final offer", after strong reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, Trump 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."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country confronts a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or "dignified" peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, Umerov noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, 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".

On social media, he said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult 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 stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. 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 give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

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

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser 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."