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Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan was "not my final offer", after strong criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, Trump informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in these negotiations there.

Prior to the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the details of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, he noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

Global Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House 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 disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared 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 of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

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

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded very little 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.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals 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 military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient 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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."