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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated this past weekend that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, following fierce reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, the US president told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Russia, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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 Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it requires "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of 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 Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "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 said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. 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 cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."