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Ex-leader Trump stated on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after fierce criticism from Ukraine's leaders and analysts that compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, Trump informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Switzerland to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Deadline

However, Trump has given Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Kyiv to cede territory under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days between preserving the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Talks

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that genuine or respectable peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, he noted: "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 Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with the US administration seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem said he was outraged 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 Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered very little in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Leaders Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, 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 – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, quoted Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."