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Former President Donald Trump remarked on Saturday that the Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following strong reaction from Ukraine's officials and commentators who likened it to the Munich pact of 1938 involving Neville Chamberlain and Hitler.

In short remarks at the White House, the US president informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. It should’ve happened a long time ago … we are attempting to conclude it, one way or the other we have to get it ended."

Forthcoming Switzerland Talks Include Various Countries

Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Geneva this Sunday to discuss this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks there.

Prior to these discussions, American lawmakers told media outlets that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them during his travel to Geneva to clarify the nature of the leaked plan. 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 Faces Critical Deadline

Nevertheless, the former president has set Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday for signing the 28-point document. The document requires Ukraine to give up territory it currently controls to Moscow, downsize the size of its army, and surrender long-range weapons. It also excludes international peacekeepers and sanctions for atrocities committed by Russia.

During a solemn speech last Friday, Zelenskyy cautioned that Ukraine faces an impossible choice over the coming days involving preserving the nation's honor and losing key ally like the United States. Zelenskyy acknowledged that it faces one of the most difficult moments historically.

Ukrainian Dialogue Delegation Formed for Geneva Meetings

In comments this weekend, Zelenskyy said that real or "dignified" peace was always based on "guaranteed security and justice". He revealed a negotiating team, established through a decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Geneva, led by top aide Andriy Yermak.

A additional delegate of the Ukrainian delegation, former defence minister and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated there would be discussions with Washington regarding potential terms for a peace deal.

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."

International Reaction and Criticism

Zelenskyy has attempted to participate positively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict based on Russian conditions. He has emphasized he cannot give up Ukraine’s sovereignty or abandon a constitution that enshrines the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, leaders from the G20 and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on Trump’s plan, stating it requires further refinement. The statement indicated 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.

Public Views in Ukraine's Capital

Responses from Ukrainians to the proposal, prepared by Putin’s envoy and a US delegate, have been largely negative. Commentators argued it outlined a plan for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Nayyem, a journalist and politician involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it drew comparisons with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal came from the same "recognisable genre", where the affected party is asked to outline its own surrender for broader convenience.

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended those who sought shelter in Bucha or Mariupol – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and families of deported children to Russian territory. "A rather cynical agreement," he stated.

In an interview in a Kyiv subway station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, said that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many years. The agreement offered "barely anything" 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 said.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals it would be compelled to sacrifice its liberties, he added. If rejected, the US would most likely break off cooperation and intelligence sharing, a crucial source of battlefield information for Ukraine's forces. Currently, there is no favorable solution, he remarked.

Varied Perspectives from Ukrainian Citizens

Another passenger, teenager Sofia Barchan, said that Ukraine would remain resilient without American support. We will continue our struggle as needed. Crimea and the eastern regions are part of Ukraine. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed Zelenskyy was a "smart person" and predicted he would not give up Ukrainian land.

While speaking during rainfall, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said she was grateful to Trump for his attempts to broker peace. She suggested that the nation ought to consider to give away certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. The president should conduct a public vote on this matter, she proposed.

EU Leaders Condemn the Plan

Former European heads of state have strongly criticized the plan. Ex-PM of Finland Marin called it a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for democracies worldwide. She said if Western nations display vulnerability – as it did in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea – further hostilities would follow.

The former prime minister of Belgium, Verhofstadt, quoted a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He continued: "Trump now takes Putin’s side. Europe faces a choice between compromise and principles. A critical juncture for the European Union."