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Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, after fierce criticism from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Countries

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

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Russia, downsize its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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

International Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, drawn up by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged 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 rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "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 added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

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

European Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said 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, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."