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Former President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after fierce reaction from Ukrainian officials and commentators that compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators told media outlets that State Department head Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, this plan did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede land under its control to Russia, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking this weekend, the president said that genuine or respectable resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

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

Suggesting limits, Umerov 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 sought to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the proposed deal and maintained troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient without American support. "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 predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister 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 – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy 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."