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Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after intense reaction from Ukrainian officials and commentators who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, Trump told journalists: 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 Countries

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva this Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Time Limit

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to cede territory it currently controls to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and losing key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments this weekend, the president said that genuine or respectable peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, he added: "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."

International Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal 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 Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine 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 predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."