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

In short remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Countries

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

Ahead of the talks, American lawmakers informed media outlets that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather reflected Russian desires, as reported by independent Maine senator King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to cede land under its control to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Appointed for Geneva Meetings

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that genuine or respectable resolution depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, appointed by presidential decree, that would soon meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and security council official Umerov, stated they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

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."

International 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 made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and impose terms on its European Union membership.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. Trumps’s peace plan came from the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

On social media, Nayyem expressed his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – 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, 21, commented that Russia 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.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region for a limited time if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

European Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."