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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In brief remarks at the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Switzerland Negotiations Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to give up land under its control to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech on Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future between preserving the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking this weekend, the president said that real or "dignified" peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with Washington 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."

Global Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. Trumps’s peace plan belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he 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 for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. 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 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.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena 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. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement 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. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."