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Former President Trump stated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukrainian officials and commentators that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief comments from the White House, the US president told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to cede land under its control to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Appointed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

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 Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, stating it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions 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 other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, said it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

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 vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."