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Former President Trump stated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", following fierce criticism from Ukrainian officials and commentators who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

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

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Various Nations

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland to clarify the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has set Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Ukraine to cede land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision in the near future between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally in the shape of the US. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Talks

In comments on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or respectable peace was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, which will meet American representatives in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting 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."

International Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives released a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". It said that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts said it was a blueprint for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, said that Moscow had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little in the proposed deal and continued to keep its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a vital resource of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant keeping America as a partner. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

EU Officials Criticize the Plan

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."