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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan was not his ultimate proposal, after intense backlash from Ukraine's officials and commentators that compared it to a 1938 Munich agreement between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During short comments at the White House, the US president told journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, in any case we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Multiple Countries

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

Ahead of the talks, US senators informed the press that State Department head Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but rather a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to cede land it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out a European peacekeeping force and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice in the near future involving preserving the nation's honor and forfeiting key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an extremely challenging period in its history.

Ukrainian Dialogue Team Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that genuine or "dignified" resolution depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a delegation, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, ex-defense head and security council official Rustem Umerov, said they will hold discussions with Washington "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at red lines, Umerov added: "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 Concerns

Zelenskyy has sought to participate positively with a White House seemingly determined to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

At a meeting held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council released a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. It said that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Kyiv’s Nato membership and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Ukrainian reaction to the proposal, drawn up by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Commentators said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just 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", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he expressed he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he concluded.

In an interview in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia had been trying to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" in the Trump agreement and maintained troops in Ukraine. "I think the deal is an attempt to break Ukraine and force unjust conditions on us," he said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to give up its freedoms, he added. If it didn’t, 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 remarked.

Varied Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, 19-year-old Barchan, said that Ukraine would "keep strong" lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

Speaking during rainfall, next to a replica of Kyiv’s original medieval gate, Ivanovna said her appreciation to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready to give away certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she said.

European Officials Criticize the Plan

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 said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."