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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted not his ultimate proposal, after strong backlash from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short comments at the White House, Trump informed reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Multiple Nations

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

Ahead of these discussions, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

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

Hinting at limits, Umerov 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 Reaction and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with a White House apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized 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 issued a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, saying it requires further refinement. It said that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions as well.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to a similar category, where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, he expressed his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow had been trying to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, 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.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old 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 predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that the nation ought to consider ceding certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland 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 – "more aggression and conflicts" 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."