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Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce reaction from Ukraine's officials and analysts that compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, the US president told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Nations

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

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede land under its control to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that genuine or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, he noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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 engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender 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 released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

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

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult 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 stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" 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 forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, 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 must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."