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Ex-leader Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after strong backlash from Ukrainian officials and commentators who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief comments from the White House, Trump informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to give up land under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, he noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. 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 Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, 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, he expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the proposed deal 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 Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, 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 remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. 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, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation should be ready 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.

European Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."