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Former President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukraine's officials and commentators that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During short comments at the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Nations

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

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers told the press that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon 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, stated there would be discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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

Global Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy 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 protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "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 Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."