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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked this past weekend that his Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", after fierce reaction from Ukraine's officials and commentators that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, Trump informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

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

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine 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 Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, said there would be consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Reaction and Concerns

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep 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 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 frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said 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 proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."