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Former President Trump indicated on Saturday that his Russian-prepared proposal for peace was not his ultimate proposal, following intense backlash from Ukraine's leaders and commentators who compared it to a Munich pact of 1938 involving Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler.

During brief comments at the White House, the US president informed journalists: "We’d like to get to peace. This should have occurred earlier … we are attempting to conclude it, in any case it must be resolved."

Forthcoming Geneva Talks Involve Various Countries

US and Ukrainian delegates will meet in Geneva on Sunday for discussions on this proposal. Security officials from Germany, France, and the UK will also participate in the talks in Geneva.

Prior to these discussions, US senators told the press that Secretary of State Marco Rubio reached out to them while en route to Geneva to clarify the details of the leaked plan. According to him, the proposal did not originate from the administration but instead reflected Russian desires, according to independent Maine senator Angus King, a member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Zelenskyy Confronts Critical Time Limit

Nevertheless, Trump has given Volodymyr Zelenskyy a deadline of Thursday to sign this multi-point agreement. It calls on Ukraine to give up land it currently controls to Moscow, reduce its military forces, and relinquish advanced weaponry. It also rules out a European peacekeeping force and penalties for Russian war crimes.

In a sombre address last Friday, the Ukrainian leader warned that Ukraine confronts a difficult decision in the near future between keeping its national dignity and forfeiting key ally like the United States. He admitted that it faces an extremely challenging period historically.

Ukraine's Negotiating Delegation Appointed for Geneva Meetings

Speaking on Saturday, Zelenskyy emphasized that real or "dignified" peace depends on assured safety and fairness. He announced a negotiating team, established by presidential decree, which will meet its US counterparts in Switzerland, headed by his chief of staff Yermak.

Another member of the Ukrainian delegation, ex-defense head and national security council secretary Rustem Umerov, stated they will hold discussions with the US 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 Concerns

Zelenskyy has attempted to engage constructively with the US administration apparently intent to end the conflict on the Kremlin’s one-sided terms. He has made clear that he will not surrender the nation's independence or disregard a constitution that protects the country’s current borders.

During a summit held in South Africa, G20 leaders and the European Council issued a joint statement pushing back on the proposed deal, saying it requires further refinement. The statement indicated that EU and Nato members must be involved regarding certain clauses, which rule out Ukraine's NATO accession and impose terms 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, has been overwhelmingly hostile. Commentators argued it was a blueprint for further Russian aggression: not only of Ukraine but other European regions too.

Mustafa Nayyem, a public figure involved in the 2014 Maidan protests, remarked it invited parallels with Chamberlain’s infamous Munich deal. The proposal belonged to the same "recognisable genre", with the victim invited "to formulate his own defeat so everyone else can live easier".

In a Facebook post, Nayyem said his anger by its "full" amnesty for Russian war crimes. This offended people who had hidden in basements in affected cities – where Russian troops executed hundreds of civilians – and for those whose children had been forcibly deported to Russian territory. A deeply cynical deal, he stated.

Speaking in Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station, Dmytro Sariskyi, a young adult, commented that Moscow has attempted to dominate Ukraine over many 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 remarked.

If Zelenskyy signed off on the proposals Kyiv would be forced to give up its freedoms, 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 noted.

Diverse Perspectives from the Public

Another passenger, 19-year-old Sofia Barchan, said that the country would remain resilient lacking US backing. "We will fight for as long as it takes. Our territory will remain our territory, including Crimea and the east. They are Ukrainian land." She expressed that the president is intelligent and forecasted he would not cede territory.

While speaking in the rain, near a historical monument, Ivanovna said her appreciation to the former US leader for his peace-making efforts. She suggested that the nation should be ready ceding certain regions for a limited time if it ensured maintaining US support. "President Zelenskyy should hold a referendum and ask the people," she proposed.

EU Officials Condemn the Proposal

Former European heads of state have roundly condemned this proposal. Finland’s former prime minister Marin described it as a catastrophe, not only for Ukraine and Ukrainians but for "all of the democratic world". She said if Western nations display vulnerability – similar to the 2014 Crimea annexation – further hostilities could arise.

Belgium's ex-PM, Guy Verhofstadt, referenced a statement by Churchill of an appeaser as "one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last". He added: Trump aligns with Putin. Europe must choose again: appeasement or our values, imperialism or freedom. Another moment of truth for our [European] union."