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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace constituted "not my final offer", after intense criticism from Ukrainian officials and analysts who compared it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, Trump informed journalists: Our goal is to achieve peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Negotiations Involve Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers informed media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Switzerland for clarification on the nature of this disclosed proposal. According to him, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign the 28-point document. It calls on Kyiv to give up land it currently controls to Russia, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre address last Friday, Zelenskyy warned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future between keeping the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Dialogue Delegation Appointed for Upcoming Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a delegation, appointed through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Switzerland, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Suggesting red lines, Umerov noted: "Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests. 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 Reaction and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with the US administration seemingly determined to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and EU representatives issued a collective declaration opposing the proposed deal, stating it needs further refinement. 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 impose terms on its future EU accession.

Public Opinion in Ukraine's Capital

Ukrainian reaction to the text, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure who led the 2014 Maidan protests, said it drew comparisons with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in affected cities – sites of civilian executions – 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, Dmytro Sariskyi, 21, commented that Russia has attempted to dominate Ukraine "for years". It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained 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 give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a crucial source of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager 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. It belongs to Ukraine." She said Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and forecasted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

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

EU Leaders Criticize the Plan

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin described it as a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for "all of the democratic world". She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill regarding appeasement 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."