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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that his Moscow-drafted proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukraine's officials and commentators who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, the US president informed reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Include Multiple Countries

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Deadline

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Kyiv to cede land under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for Russian war crimes.

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

Ukraine's Negotiating Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, appointed through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Hinting at limits, he noted: Ukraine enters these talks with defined goals. This represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has attempted to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it needs "additional work". The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted on some of its provisions, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, said 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".

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. "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. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, 19-year-old 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced Churchill’s definition of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."