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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, after fierce backlash from Ukraine's officials and analysts who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short remarks at the White House, Trump told journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Negotiations Include Multiple Nations

US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany will also participate in these negotiations in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Rubio contacted them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Confronts Critical Deadline

However, the former president has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to cede territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender advanced weaponry. It also excludes international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that his country confronts a difficult decision over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukrainian Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He revealed a delegation, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by top aide Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold discussions with the US regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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

Global Response and Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to resolve the war on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

At a meeting held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a collective declaration opposing Trump’s plan, saying it needs further refinement. It said 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 future EU accession.

Public Views in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, prepared by a Russian representative and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but of other parts of Europe as well.

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

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of military intelligence for Ukraine's forces. "There is no good way out of this for now," he noted.

Diverse Viewpoints from the Public

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, asserted that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking in the rain, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that Ukraine ought to consider to give away Crimea and the eastern Donbas region temporarily if it meant maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Leaders Condemn the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She warned if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted 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. A critical juncture for the European Union."