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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following strong criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief comments at 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, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks in Geneva.

Prior to the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days between keeping its national dignity and losing a major partner in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking this weekend, the president said that genuine or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at red lines, he added: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. 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 Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the proposed deal and maintained 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 rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Barchan, asserted 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 expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation should be ready ceding Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine 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" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "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."