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Former President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following intense criticism from Ukrainian leaders and commentators who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments from the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan "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.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory under its control to Russia, downsize its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Upcoming Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting 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."

International Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said 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 deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered "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 sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, 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, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to the former US leader 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 meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."