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Former President Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after intense criticism from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations there.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and losing key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, 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."

International Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated 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

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If it didn’t, 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, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" 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 expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine 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, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."