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Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukrainian officials and commentators that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations there.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to give up territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or respectable peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, he said he was outraged 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 rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" without American support. "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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."