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Ex-leader Donald Trump stated on Saturday that the Moscow-drafted peace plan constituted not his ultimate proposal, following intense reaction from Ukraine's leaders and analysts who compared it to the Munich pact of 1938 between Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief remarks from the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Upcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Nations

US and Ukrainian officials will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on the plan. Defense representatives from Germany, France, and the UK are expected to join the talks there.

Ahead of these discussions, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva for clarification on the details of this disclosed proposal. He said, this plan "was not the administration’s plan" but rather a "wish list of the Russians", according to Senator Angus King, a member on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Ukraine's President Faces Critical Time Limit

However, the former president has set Zelenskyy until Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory it currently controls to Russia, downsize its military forces, and surrender advanced weaponry. Additionally, it excludes a European peacekeeping force and penalties for atrocities committed by Russia.

In a sombre speech last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country faces an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping its national dignity and forfeiting a major partner in the shape of the US. He admitted that it faces one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukrainian Negotiating Team Appointed for Upcoming Meetings

In comments this weekend, the president emphasized that real or respectable resolution was always based on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, that would soon meet American representatives in Geneva, led by top aide Yermak.

Another member from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said there would be discussions 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 represents a continuation of recent discussions focused on harmonizing our plans for future actions."

International Response and Criticism

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with a White House apparently intent to resolve the war based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or disregard the constitutional framework that protects Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and EU representatives issued a collective declaration pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires "additional work". The statement indicated that members of the EU and NATO must be involved on some of its provisions, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its future EU accession.

Public Views in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the text, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, have been largely negative. Analysts said it outlined a plan for another Russian invasion: targeting not just Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

On social media, he said he was outraged by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. It was an insult those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – 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, 21, said that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially "for years". It conceded very little in the Trump agreement and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he said.

Should Ukraine accept the terms it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If it didn’t, the US might cease collaboration and intelligence exchange, a vital resource of military intelligence for frontline Ukrainian troops. "There is no good way out of this for now," he remarked.

Diverse Viewpoints from Ukrainian Citizens

A different commuter, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient without American support. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. It belongs to Ukraine." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

Speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna mentioned her appreciation to Trump for his peace-making efforts. She said that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured keeping America as a partner. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Criticize the Proposal

Previous European leaders have strongly criticized this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a disaster, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – "more aggression and conflicts" would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, quoted 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 must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. A critical juncture for the European Union."