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Ex-leader Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following strong backlash from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short remarks from the White House, Trump informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators told the press 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 "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by Senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up land under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future between keeping its national dignity and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Yermak.

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

Hinting at limits, 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."

International Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively 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 Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a collective declaration pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep 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 it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient 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 forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."