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Ex-leader Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following strong reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

In brief remarks from the White House, the US president told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to give up land it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine confronts an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, said there would be consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting limits, Umerov 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."

Global Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he expressed 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 families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". The agreement offered 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.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". 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."