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Former President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts who likened it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments from the White House, the US president told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to cede land under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision in the near future between preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be consultations with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, Umerov noted: 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."

Global Response and Criticism

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war 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 issued a joint statement opposing the proposed deal, saying it needs "additional work". It said that members of the EU and NATO would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, Nayyem expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many 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 it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient without American support. "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 forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine ought to consider to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."