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Former President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, after intense criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts who likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks from the White House, the US president informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators told the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead a "wish list of the Russians", according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede land it currently controls to Russia, downsize the size of its army, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and losing key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Dialogue Team Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or respectable resolution was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

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

Suggesting limits, 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."

Global Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in 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 formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russia. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially 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.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old 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 said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna mentioned she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities 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 aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."