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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted "not my final offer", following strong reaction from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that likened it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief remarks at the White House, the US president informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Nations

Ukrainian and American officials are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but rather reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Crucial Deadline

However, the former president has given Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing this multi-point agreement. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech on Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine faces a difficult decision in the near future between keeping the nation's honor 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 Team Appointed for Upcoming Talks

Speaking this weekend, Zelenskyy emphasized that genuine or respectable peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, which will meet American representatives in Geneva, headed by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and security council official Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

Suggesting red lines, Umerov 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 Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members would need to be consulted regarding certain clauses, that exclude Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by a Russian representative and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels 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 his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and continued to keep troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he said. If it didn’t, 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 remarked.

Diverse Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, asserted that Ukraine would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She said that the president is intelligent and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Olena Ivanovna said she was grateful to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away 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 said.

EU Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have roundly condemned this proposal. Ex-PM of Finland Sanna Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities 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 must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."