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Ex-leader Trump indicated on Saturday that the Russian-prepared peace plan was "not my final offer", after intense backlash from Ukrainian leaders and analysts that likened it to the 1938 Munich agreement between Chamberlain and Hitler.

During brief comments from the White House, Trump told reporters: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we’re trying to get it ended, one way or the other it must be resolved."

Upcoming Geneva Talks Involve Various Nations

US and Ukrainian delegates are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Sunday to discuss the plan. Defense representatives from France, Britain and Germany are expected to join the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, US senators informed the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted them while en route to Geneva for clarification on the nature of the leaked plan. He said, the proposal "was not the administration’s plan" but instead a "wish list of the Russians", as reported by Senator Angus King, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Faces Crucial Time Limit

However, Trump has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy until Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory under its control to Moscow, reduce the size of its army, and relinquish long-range weapons. Additionally, it rules out international peacekeepers and penalties for Russian war crimes.

During a solemn address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader cautioned that his country confronts an impossible choice in the near future involving keeping the nation's honor and forfeiting a major partner like the United States. He admitted that Ukraine is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its history.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Formed for Upcoming Talks

In comments on Saturday, the president emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on "guaranteed security and justice". He announced a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

A additional delegate from Ukraine's team, former defence minister and national security council secretary Umerov, said they will hold consultations with the US "on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement".

Hinting at limits, he 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."

Global Response and Concerns

The Ukrainian president has sought to engage constructively with a White House seemingly determined to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized that he will not surrender the nation's independence or abandon the constitutional framework that enshrines Ukraine's territorial integrity.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council released a joint statement opposing Trump’s plan, stating it needs further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and put conditions on its European Union membership.

Citizen Opinion in Kyiv

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and Trump’s representative, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Analysts argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a public figure who led Ukraine’s 2014 pro-democracy Maidan revolution, remarked it invited parallels with the Munich Agreement. The proposal belonged to a similar category, with the victim invited to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, he said his anger by the complete pardon for Russian atrocities. This offended people who had hidden in basements in Bucha or Mariupol – sites of civilian executions – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russia. A deeply cynical deal, he concluded.

Speaking in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Russia has attempted to control Ukraine politically and territorially over many years. It conceded very little in the proposed deal and maintained its forces on Ukrainian soil. In my view, this deal aims to undermine Ukraine and impose unfair terms, he remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, he said. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for frontline Ukrainian troops. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he noted.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that the country would "keep strong" without American support. "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 cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Olena Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his attempts to broker peace. She said that Ukraine should be ready ceding certain regions temporarily if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she said.

European Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Finland’s former prime minister Sanna Marin called it a catastrophe, affecting not just Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. She said if the west showed weakness and ignorance – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities could arise.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as someone who accommodates an aggressor. He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."