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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated this past weekend that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", following strong criticism from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision in the near future between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Appointed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate 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.

Suggesting limits, he 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 Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger 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 Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little 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 give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it 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.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."